EMPIRE FREE TRADE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20496, 22 February 1930, Page 8

EMPIRE FREE TRADE.

HOME CAMPAIGN CRITICISED*

BRITISH COMMISSIONER'S VIEW,

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

GISBONRE. Friday

One ot the most interesting points touched upon by the British Trado Com• missioner in New Zealand, Mr. I/, Paish, during an address to Gisborna business men, was the proposal of frea trade throughout the Empire. The commissioner remarked that it utruck him as very unfortunate that tha campaign should be described as for "Empire free trade," and gave his opinion that there was little or no chants of the proposal going through. At present there was much feeling in the Old Country that something should be done to strengthen the bonds of friendship between Britain and the Dominions.All the people were talking about Empire free trade and the proposal was being pushed forward by the proprietors of wellknown newspapers. But the schema always struck him as very unfortunate, inasmuch as it did not appear to be fiea trade or Empire trade. "I do not think there is the slightest chance." tho commissioner said, "of any proposal being put through whereby the industries of the Dominions would ba open to unrestricted competition from any nation in the world. I am sorry to see a proposal to draw the Empire closer together labelled 'Empire free trade. England has been a freo trade country for nearly a century, but the only reason for that is essentially that she is a country which cannot support and feed herself, and 50 per cent, of the foodstuffs necessary must be imported from abroad. "The only way England can sell on the world's markets is to make goods as cheaply as possible and sell them at the cheapest price. If we had a duty on our imports of raw materials the price of the manufactures would inevitably rise and the prices of the exports would do likewise. Consequently we would have little chance of competing in the markets o the world. That is why, of all nations in the world, she is the outstanding example of free trade. It is not due to foolishness or stupidity, but to common sense. . , . "It is true that America is not a tree trade country and is prosperous, bub America can feed herself, and Eng an cannot. If the American export -trade ceased the country could still live. " if Britain lost her export trado she wouiu starve in five weeks."