INTER-EMPIRE COMMERCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20331, 12 August 1929, Page 9

INTER-EMPIRE COMMERCE.

MR. AMERY'S OPINION.

FREE TRADE IMPRACTICABLE.

CANADA AND PREFERENCE.

Australian Press Associations-United Service (Received August 11, 5.5 p.m.) QUEBEC, Auz. 10.

The former Secretary of State for the Dominions in Britain, Mr. L. S. Amery, was a passenger l>y the Empress of Australia, which arrived to-day at Quebec. He said Empire free trade was an ideal, but, it was quite impracticable. 110 was absolutely in favour of closer commercial relations between the constituent parts of the Empire. Nevertheless, he felt that the slogan of free trade would not accomplish the purpose desired, In the Old Country, for example, they could not tax wheat in order to give Canada preference and it was conceivable that Canada, in various ways, might not find it convenient to reduce her taxation on one purely British product. Each commodity must be considered by itself.

Preference could be arranged for Canadian wheat, perhaps, by subsidy or decreased freight rales, but it could not be of a nature that would increase the cost of living in Britain. MINISTERIAL TOUR. MR. THOMAS FOR CANADA. RELIEF OF UNEMPLOYMENT. British Wireless. RUGBY, Aug 10. Mr. J. H. Thomas, Minister in charge of Unemployment, left London yesterday for Canada. The main objects of. his visit to the Dominion arc to improve its trade relations with Britain and to investigate tho question of Immigration.

The Minister hopes to secure more markets for British goods in order to alleviate unemployment in Britain. From Quebec Mr. Thomas will go to Ottawa where conferences have been arranged with the Canadian Prime Minister,, Mr. W. L. Mackenzie King, and other Ministers.

Mr. Thomas, in an interview, said he was leaving with the good wishes of all his fellow-countrymen on a mission which he hoped would benefit all. There was no aspect of the economic relations of the two countries he would not be prepared to discuss.