TRADE WITHIN THE EMPIRE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 25 May 1936, Page 4

TRADE WITHIN THE EMPIRE

READERS will have noticed the cablegram, which reported the opinion, expressed by Mr G. Lambert (L.Nat.) in the House of Commons, that the British Government should “use tariffs if necessary against the Dominions and say, ‘lf you tax our manufacturers, wo will tax your over■oas foodstuffs.'” When Britain was practically a free-trade country the Dominions, which were the Colonies, taxed imports, for the purposes of revenue primarily, and for the purpose of fostering their infant manufacturing industries. No objection was made in Britain to their natural desire to provide their own manufactured goods. It was known that in any case they would stiil be large buyers of Britisn manufactured goods, and furthermore it was recognised that it is . impossible to succeed in restricting young and vigorous nations in relation to their industrial activities. To-day the situation has somewhat changed. There has arisen in England a political party which, quite properly, desires to encourage the English farmer, and enable him to provide as far as possible the nation’s food. But England is so overpopulated that its foodsupplies arc bound to be short, even if all its land were closely cultivated. In any case it will require frozen meat from Australia and New Zealand. In return, to make the balance of trade even, these Dominions require to buy largely from England. This they do, but it is clear that their status in the English market would be much improved if they diverted to it much of that custom, which, at present, goes to foreign countries which buy little or nothing from them. The slogan, “trade within the Empire” still holds good, and should be acted on, both for economic and political reasons.