CEMENTING THE EMPIRE

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12363, 5 February 1926, Page 8

CEMENTING THE EMPIRE

PREFERENCE ESSENTIAL A SPEECH BY COLONIAL SECRETARY ECONOMIC CQ-OPERATION URGED Bv Telegraph.— Press Assn.— Copyright Australian and N.Z.‘ Cable Association. LONDON, February 3. Representatives from throughout the Empire of trade, commerce, finance, and administration, including the High Commissioners and AgentsGencral, celebrated the te.nth anniversary of the Empire Producers’ Organisation with a luncheon at the Mansion House, and presented the Colonial Secretary, Mr L. C. M. Amery, with his portrait in oils. Lord Kylsant, presiding, emphasised that the subscribers throughout

the Empire desired to honour Mr Amery’s lifelong devotion to the ideal of Empire development. Mr Amery declared that the Empire to-day was the greatest agency for good the world had yet known. Upon the Empire’s unity, security and development* depended not only the happiness and welfare of their own peoples, but mankind’s peaceful progress. The fullest mutual development, however, was only obtainable by whole-hearted economic co-opera-tion throughout the Empire directed at raising the standard of living. Otherwise, the Empire was doomed to disaster. FUTURE DEPENDS ON EDUCATION The goodwill existing Everywhere must be translated into effective action, destroying the remnants of the fingering superstiETon that prosperity * depended on the maintenance of a. starvation basis for workers. The progress towards a ncbler conception of Imperial co-operation had been considerable and included preferences on sugar, wine, tobacco v and silk, the McKenna Duties, and the Safeguarding of Industries Act. Greater results would follow better publicity and marketing research, wherein the Empire Producers’ Organisation had rendered immense service ancT assisted Imperial consolidation.

Britain’s future depended also on the education of the business world and tho British public within the next three years in the full meaning of an Imperial economic policy, with a view to its whole-hearted adoption. Then the Empire’s problems would be speedily solved. Mr Ben Morgan, chairman of the British Empire Producers* Organisation, said that at present it was essential to carry preferences over a period of years instead of introducing them annually, and thereby discouraging continuity of effoit. The War Office was fv great offender again** preference by securing a large proportion of its supplies from foreign sources. On the contrary, the Admiralty consistently gave preference to the Dominions.