THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1926. EMPIRE MARKETS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19453, 8 October 1926, Page 10

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1926. EMPIRE MARKETS.

Discussion of Empire trade led a delegate to the Parliamentary Conference now sitting in Australia to offer certain advice to those Dominions which rely on the British market as an outlet for their produce. Mr. Alexander, who, as a member of the recent Labour Government, gained a widened insight into economic conditions, said it wag impossible to develop as an Empire economically if each placed country before Empire. The Empire should be used as a lever for economic development. These words sum up succinctly one phase of the process whereby unity among the component parts of the Empire may bring strength: to all. The British Empire is something greater than a congeries of States bound together for the furtherance of their own material interests. If self-interest had been the sole link it would have dissolved long ago. But, giving full weight to the sentimental bonds, to the unity in ideals, aspirations and traditions, to the common loyalties which are the most powerful bonds of Empire, there are others, supplementary, but not to be despised. A community of economic interests exists, but this phase is generally capable of extensive development. In bulk and by individual count, Britain is the most important consumer supplied by most of the Dominions. They, in turn, on a per capita basis, are Britain's best customers. In each field there are powerful rivals. It would be acceptable to both parties if the present interdependence, and independence of others, could be increased in degree. What the Dominions may do to increase their share of selling to Britain is the burden of Mr. Alexander's remarks. His advice on the subject merits examination.

The line of argument developed by this British Parliamentarian referred primarily to foodstuffs! This is, to the self-governing Dominions, the most important of their exported commodities. Fortunately, too, it is a subject on which much information has been gathered. The Imperial Economic Committee which has been investigating the problem of marketing in Britain foodstuffs produced within the Empire has issued several invaluable reports. The committee stated plainly at the outset that it desired the preference to be given in the British market to be, first, home produce, second, Dominion and colonial produce, third foreign produce. The desire to favour the British producer most cannot be objected to by anyone. With the most that can possibly be done by and for him there must remain a heavy deficiency in the necessary food for the people, to be met by importing, and to be best met by drawing on the resources of the Empire. Figures for 1924, taken by the committee as a basis of calculation, showed that 43 per cent, of the beef aiid veal, 26 per cent, of the mutton and lamb, 51 per cent, of the pig meat, 46 per cent, of the butter and 9 per cent, of the cheese consumed in Britain came from foreign sources. In fruits 42 per cent, of the apples and 53 per cent, of the pears consumed came similarly from foreign countries. It is easily seen there is ample room for both British and Empire primary producers to strengthen their grip on the market without either acting to the detriment of the other. The committee declared early in its investigations that there was, among British consumers, a decided attitude of goodwill toward Empire pro ducts when such could be identified. This feeling needed to be organised. The Empire producer must meet the demand of the British market for quantity, quality and continuity of supplies. Also, the price must be at a competitive level before many potential buyers could exercise their preference. For the maintenance of quality, grading is all important. New Zealand can pride itself on having done great and successful work in this direction. It has applied the strong discipline which Mr. Alexander advocates, the result being the high reputation which New Zealand butter and lamb, to quote the two best examples, enjoy abroad. What has not yet been done is to grade the product to the stage where it reaches the consumer, as Mr. Alexander suggests should be done. It has long been a grievance that some of the best of the Dominion's produce loses its identity as soon as it reaches the port of discharge. Some progress toward rectifying this state of affairs has been made by the boards controlling the export of both meat and dairy produce. It is a direction in which their activities can most legitimately be exercised. To maintain continuity of

supplies, to avoid gluts or bareness of the market, is another of their avowed objectives, endorsed by the Imperial Economic Committee, though not specially mentioned by Mr. Alexander. In all that has been said against the policy adopted by the Dairy Control Board, there has been no solid objection to their doing this. It is, indeed, one of the effective and desirable means of trying to prevent the spread of price between producer and consumer to Mhich Mi. Alexander refers. Gluts and shortages are circumstances seized by the speculator and turned to his own advantage. The Dairy Control Board and the Meat Control Board both desire this objective, but work toward it by very different methods. All told, Mr. Alexander's advice conveys little that is really new to New Zealand. It sums up and emphasises many of the things recognised as necessary, and in some degree attempted by this country in working for the objective of increased Empire trade and a higher degree of self-support.