ASSISTING EMPIRE TRADE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18897, 20 December 1924, Page 11

ASSISTING EMPIRE TRADE.

MR. BALDWIN'S PROGRAMME j COLD STORES FOR PRODUCE. j FORECAST OF INTENTIONS. I By Telegraph -Pre-s Association—Copyright. | (Received 5.5 p.m.) , Sun. LONDON. Dec. IS. I The special correspondent of the Sydney ', Sun learns that huge cold stores on the | banks of the Thames, equipped with the I latest machinery for defrosting, and : erected and financed by the British Gov- : eminent, is the chief point in the secret j schema of the Prime Minister, Mr. Stanj ley Baldwin, by which it is proposed to spend £1,003,000 annually to aid I the export of food from the Dominj ions. The latter will be given preferenI tial treatment in letting accommodation ; in the stores. ] Well-informed people arc of the opinion I that these cold stores will be handling i meat iind fruit from the Dominions withf in a year. The newspapers are blaming Mr. Baldwin for vagueness when announcing his scheme, in the House of Commons. They say it is now clear that Mr. Baldwin was j faced with the enunciation of a proposition savouring strongly of Socialism. Wide Scope of Scheme. The Government's assistance to the Dominions will not end with cold stores. There will probably be established a board consisting of representatives of producers and consumers working in close liaison with the Imperial Economic Committee and co-operating with exporters to secure uniformity of grading and. standarisation of qualities, to co-ordinate transport facilities on land and sea, to investigate the possibilities of development of existing and new sources of food supply within the Empire, and to examine possible methods of applying preferential treatment to products from the Empire, particularly in regard to marketing, finance, and transport. Tho Imperial Economic Committee will act as a sort of vigilance association, drawing the attention of the Government to any instances in which even small amounts are being spent on foreign food which might be produced within the Em- | pire. It is learned that the Government will 1 not embark on any. enterprises in the re- | tail trade nor interfere with shipping, j but it will leave the gate open to the I Australian Government, by using its own j ships to cheapen rates, thus giving Aus- ; tralian producers additional preference. High Commissioners' Views. The High Commissioners for Australia i and New Zealand, Sir Joseph Cook and | Sir James Allen, when interviewed, ! cordially approved of Mr. Baldwin's pro- • posals. ' •Sir Joseph Cook repudiated A! r. Philip i Snowden's insinuation that the proposed { vote of £1,000,000 was equivalent to a | pension to the Dominions. In whatever j form tiie Government proposed to assist j tho sale of the Dominions' goods it was i unti\.e to describe it as a pension. Mr. j Baldwin's proposals were a reciprocal I gesture, for which Australia was grateful. Sir James Allen considered that if I the, preference proposals made at tho Imi perial Conference were relegated to the I waste-paper basket, it would inflict, a j serious blow on Imperial relations. For- ! tunatsly Mr. Baldwin had retrieved the j position. i Referring to the vote of £1,000.000, Sir ; James considered that a matter for I Britain rather than the Dominions.