BRITAIN AND DOMINIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19453, 8 October 1926, Page 11

BRITAIN AND DOMINIONS.

MUTUAL TRADE QUESTION

DISCUSSION BY POLITICIANS. HINTS TO THE PRODUCERS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. A. and N.Z. SYDNEY, Oct. 7. Empire trade was further discussed at the conference of the Empire Parliamentary delegates. Mr. A. V. Alexander, one of the British Labour representatives, said that if the primary producers of the Dominions granted to gain an increasing hold on the British market they must he organised to prepare and grade their products right to the stage when they reached the consumer in England. He was not sure that that had been accomplished yet. There had been a great development in co-operative organisation in New Zealand. It. was better there than in the other Dominions. In Australia it. was progressing, and in Canada it had been started, but it needed further development,. Until the co-operative producers of the Dominions really got a grip of that they would see the tragic things that would happen owing to the enormous spread of price between the producer and consumer. Therd remained something for the Dominions to do ir. reducing that spread of price. « Tribute to New Zealand Butter. As to quality and grading there was need for strong discipline, either by the countries that vrere exporting, or by the producers themselves, continued Mr. Alexander. The Dominions' standard of product was improving every year. As Parliamentary secretary to the great British co-operative movement of over 5,000,000 members he could say that in hundreds of their co-operative shops New Zealand butter had displaced Danish butter.

Mr. Alexander said it would be impossible to develop as an Empire economically if each part of the Empire placed country before Empire. The Empire should be used as a lever for economic development. State Labour Party's View.

Speaking at the State dinner tendered to the delegates the Premier, Mr. J. T. Lang, said emphatically that the New South Wales Labour Party was not opposed to immigration. It wanted cordially to welcome as many immigrants as the State could assimilate,' but Australia was a young nation and its financial resources were limited. If the delegates could influence British capitalists to supply the money necessary for the fuller development of the primary and secondary industries they could send as many immigrants as the industries would absorb without driving out local residents. The Marquess of Salisbury, in replying, said neither lie nor the British Government had any influence over the City of London. The investment of money depended entirely upon the security offered. Ho said he could assure them that if they offered sufficient security the City of London would tumble head over heels to offer whatever money was wanted. Capital, however, was a shy article. There must bo confidence on the part of the investor. The rest was plain sailing. An Advocate ol Free Trade. Speaking at. a luncheon tendered to Major Bryan R. Cooper of tho Irish Free State, the Hon. John Barr (New Zealand) said the Parliamentary delegates wore not here primarily to put people on the land, but to consider how all the industries might be developed; also to learn. A committee-like conference of Prime Ministers should be assembled in order to formulate some scheme for free trade within the Empire. But they must realise that it would bo useless to depend upon sentiment Where a business deal was being made everything should be made practical and efficient.