THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1924. A PROMISING PROGRAMME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18889, 11 December 1924, Page 8

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1924. A PROMISING PROGRAMME.

As the official announcement of the new British Government's programme, the King's Speech proves an eminently promising utteiance.

It is both positive and practice 1. A resolute determination to redeem

election pledges is evident in every part of it. More particularly,, it is coloured almost throughout by the Imperial principles that were given prominence by Mr. Baldwin in the election campaign. His '"election address," which was virtually the party's manifesto, included this striking statement: "to strengthen and develop the Empire by every possible means is, indeed, the first and dominant item in our policy, believing, as we all do, i;hat only through the fullest co-operation of the partner States of the -Brinish Commonwealth can the common peace, security, and prosperity of each and all of us be assured." Now, in the King's Speech, the Government's "guiding principle" is declared to be closer Imperial cooperation. It is evidently no idle profession. The British Government, as has been emphasised by Mr. Baldwin in the debate on the Address-in-Reply, will make no pronouncement on the League oi: Nation's peace protocol without first consulting the views of the Dominions. It is communicating with them in reference to the Singapore base. It takes up 'again the Empire settlement scheme initiated before the Labour Government came into office. Already the Secretary for the Colonies has given notice of a bill to give effect to the preference proposals of the Economic Conference. These actions all point one way —to the perfecting of Imperial co-operation. Even the Government's attitude to the AngloRussian treaties, to which its Labour predecessors, with indecent haste, were preparing to commit the country, is affected by its desire for the Empire's development. The Labour Government would have encouraged trade with the Soviet Union, to the relative neglect of trade with the Dominions. The present Government views things in an entirely different perspective: the Dominions are "partner States," and Russia cannot be even a respected neighbour unless she gives better proof than heretofore of her will to observe the decencies of international .intercourse.

Of special interest is the promise of further preferences to imports from the oversea territories of the Empire. It is evident that Mr. Baldwin is determined to widen to the full, within the limits of his election pledges, the application of Imperial preference as approved first at the Imperial Conference of 1917 and endorsed at the Economic Conference of last year. The bill of which Mr. Amery has given notice embraces the proposals advanced by the British Government at the latter conference. They did not cover a wide range of oversea products, but they were welcomed at the Economic Conference as an important further instalment of preferential treatment. The preference of one-sixth given, on dried figs, raisins, plums and apricots—equivalent to Is 9d per hundredweight, was proposed to be raised to 10s 6d per hundredweight by admitting them, if of Empire origin, duty free. Similarly, the one-sixth preference on currantsamounting to 4d per hundredweight —was to be raised tc 2s, with a promise of further discrimination, if need be, against* foreign currants. On other dried fruit, already admitted duty free, the British Government proposed to impose a duty of 10s 6d per hundredweight in the case of foreign products, while admitting the Empire's products free. On preserved fruit, as distinct from dried, there would be no duty imposed where they were of Empire origin, whereas an all-round duty of 5s per hundredweight, save on jam-pulp, would be borne by foreign products, in addition to the duty on their sugar contents. Empire sugar could be given no immediate preference beyond the one-sixth already allowed, but the Government was prepared to guarantee the absolute amount of that existing advantage—nearly Id per pound on refined sugar—for ten years, even if the duty on the foreign product fell A similar proposal was made concerning tobacco, but the oversea representatives favoured instead the raising of the preference from one-sixth to one-fourth, and this alternative the Government thereupon adopted. As to wines, | the preference of 2s per gallon was i to be doubled in the case of some and in others the preference on the surtax was to be increased from 30 per cent, to 50 per cent. Raw apples were still to be admitted duty free, except that those of foreign origin were to carry a duty of 5s per hundredweight. Tinned fish from the Empire was to enter free of duty, the foreign article ' hearing a duty of 10s per hundredweight. Honey would continue to be admitted duty free when of Empire origin, but foreign honey would carry a duty of ]0s per hundredweight. Fruit juices and syrups from the Empire would still bear no duty, but those of foreign origin would pay Gd a gallon in addition to the impost on their sugar-contents. Embodying these proposals, Mr. Amcry's bill will reassert the preference issue in a very practical form. In matters of domestic policy, the King's Speech is evidence of the Government's,, eagerness to get to grips with pressing problems. After making loud promises of curing unemployment, the Labour Government fell back weakly on palliatives and an increase of doles ; and at the end of September there were 180,000 more unemployed than at the end of June. In the face of this, it abolished the McKenna duties and that part of the Safeguarding of Industries Act under which some industries were expanding and giv-

ing increased employment. MrBaldwin's decision t6 retrace that step, although he is under obligation to refrain from introducing protection in this Parliament, is prompted by a wish to relieve unemploymentHis Imperial policy in settlement and trade is also calculated to have a corrective effect on this evil. The housing problem is to be approached along the line of the Act of 1923, under which over 160,000 houses were provided; but further progress, of which there is sore need, in proposed by employing new materials and new methods of construction under Government direction and with the aid of public money. Pensions are to have attention with a view to removing the three outstanding defects nowexisting—unnecessarily irritating investigation into the means of the applicants, reduction amounting to a penalty for thrift, and inadequacy of amount. Such proposals indicate fully that the new Government is intent on using its Parliamentary majority to good purpose in domestic as well as in Imperial affairs.