The New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1913. EMPIRE TRADE COMMISSION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8367, 1 March 1913, Page 4

The New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1913. EMPIRE TRADE COMMISSION

The Empire Trade Commission has been in session a few days in the Dominion, and much interesting evidence has been given before it. But the width of the horizon opened up by this evidence makes it necessary to recall the object for which the Commission was appointed. The appointment of the Commission, to use the words of Mr Harcourt, at the Imperial Conference of 1911, “is only another step in advance in the path of what has been the governing note of this Conference —the path not of Imperial concentration, hut of Imperial co-operation.” The appointment was preceded by two resolutions by the Prime Minister of the Australian Commonwealth —one recognising the need for promoting the fuller development of commercial intercourse within the Empire on lines of cooperation in commercial matters and those of mutual interest; the other for supporting efforts in favour of Britishmanufactured goods and British shipping as far as practicable. For these two resolutions Sir Wilfrid Laurier got the Conference to substitute his resolution for the appointment of a Royal Commission to investigate and report on “the natural resources of each part of the Empire represented at the Conference, the development attained and attainable, and the facilities for the production, manufacture, and distribution; the trade of each part with the others and with the outside world; the food and raw material requirements of each and the sources thereof available. To what extent, if any, the trade between each of the different parts has been affected by existing legislation in each, either beneficially or otherwise.” To this the following addition was made on the suggestion of Mr Harcourt: “And by what methods, consistent with the existing fiscal policy of each part, the trade, of each part with the others may be improved and extended.” In supporting the resolution as amended, Sir Joseph Ward said that “the suggestion ■as to obtaining information regarding facilities regarding production, manufacture and distribution is exceedingly important.” Speaking of the Commission he said; “If they do their work thoroughly, as I have ' no doubt they will do, 1 think we ought to help the development of trade very materially within the Empire.” In these sentiments the majority of the speakers, from the president (the Right Hon. Mr Asquith) downwards, concurred very heartily. It does not require any further quotation to show the greatness of the opportunity now afforded for the concentration of all possible commercial information into one focus where it may be useful to the body of the Empire which now is without adequate knowledge of matters of vital consequence.

The point is of considerable importance because some of the evidence led and accepted is decidedly outside the order of reference. Hr Joachim, for example, following Professor Park, only managed to throw a fog over the subject the latter had introduced to the notice of the Commission. The professor had informed the Commission that the resources in coal of this Dominion much vaunted are as nothing in comparison with the vaunting. When he finished with his demonstration—as far as any demonstration is at present possible—of a total possession on our part of two hundred and fifty million tons of bituminous coal, which is actually less than a year’s output of the British coal mines of two hundred and seventy million tons, there was some light on the question of the value of the coal supplies of the Dominion to the Empire of the future. The proper line to have followed next would have been a demonstration of the possibilities and the suggestions of possibilities in regard to the oil production of the future. There ore the actual wells of Taranaki, the prospective wells elsewhere, and the gaseous indications in the Wairarapa to which attention is now being pointedly drawn. But the sequence was not in that direction. Mr Joachim proceeded to entertain the Commission on the position and prospects of the Westport Coal Company, and thought proper to dilate on the high wages, voicing the ancient Conservative complaint that they are killing the industry which is forced to pay them. He said that only four companies were paying, and declared that the others' are killed by the natural conditions and the high wages. Now it is untrue that the rate of wages kills the industry, because there are, by Mr Joachim’s own showing, four companies which make profit after paying the said wages. How much of the failure elsewhere is due to natural conditions—faultiness of strata and so forth, a very notorious condition in this country—and how much to downright bad management? These be debatable points. Moreover, Mr Joachim could not speak except from second-hand. His evidence, therefore, ought to have been very much curtailed, as quite useless to the Commission in its inquiry on trade conditions and the state of the pubho resources.

Then there were the ladies who aired a very ancient grievance anent the lack of domestic servants. Their evidence was exhaustive, no doubt, and the plan they recommended organising an immigration scheme on lines of efficiency and good behaviour was very excellent, very well meant, and

sure of success if only the people can be got to look at it in the right way. But the subject is foreign to the order of reference, and it touches matters which are growing more complicated in Britain from day to day, with the prospect broad in front of a drying up of all emigration streams, li the programme of the Liberal Government means anything it means the settlement of several millions of people on the British soil which at present carries only grass and stock. Hus question of the servants was, therefore, both irrelevant and inexpedient. The Commission has not come here to settle the domestic problem nor to make any pronouncement on the wages question.

Some excellent and very suggestive evidence was given on the question or Imperial preference and on the subject of freights, British and foreign. These are among the things the Commission was specially appointed to inquire into. They are of the essence of the inquiry, as anyone may see on consulting the order of reference. Indeed, the evidenco given already is a revelation to a great many people on both sides of the water. Experts, of course, have always understood that preference may be, and often is, neutralised by the freight differences. For twenty years merchants have been importing goods through London from foreign ports at rates of freight lower than those paid for British goods in the same British vessel sailing from the British port. It is a fact that requires to be faced, analysed, and, it possible, prevented. At all requires .to be adequately studied. On such questions and on the present state, growth, and possible development of the primary industries there is much to be told to the Commission. If all along the lines of relevant, valuable information tho # Obarobers ot Commerce of tbo Dominion will concentrate their efforts they will justify their existence by signal service. But if they abet the complaints of lack or servants and of the prevailing rates of wages—things <lu© in some minds to th© “ seven devils of Socialism -—-they will waste th© time of the Commission and divert its energies into paths which lead to the proverbial wrong tree. It may be very natural for persons with hearts overwrought to rush to any new authority that will listen to their gushing complaints of th© awful wages, the dreadful conditions of employment, and the flight of capital from our shores, caused and accelerated by vicious social legislation. But the yonimission ought to b© protected from their importunity. After all, there is no compulsion. Why ? then, should the Commission hear irrelevancies at all ? It has. th© remedy in it© own hands.