EMPIRE TRADE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18612, 21 July 1922, Page 2

EMPIRE TRADE

HYDE PARK MEETING. GUARANTEE OP WORLD PEACE. (Fbom Oub Own Correspondent.) LONDON, May 80. In connection with the Empire Day celebrations a demonstration which attracted a large amount of attention was held on Sunday evening in Hyde Park, under the auspices of the Empire Workers’ Council. Addresses were delivered from five platforms. Among the speakers were Lord Morris, Sir Jj Wallace, Sir 11. Brittain, M.P., Mr J. M. M. Erskine, M.P., Dame Meriel Talbot, and the Rev. Prebendary Gough. Mr J. M. M. Erskine, M.P., said that recently he was speaking to several hundreds of London’s unemployed, and when he suggested emigration no was met with the question, “Why should we go overseas?” It had been good enough for his boy of 17, and so ho felt that he was justified in recommending a similar course for others who had the same opportunities. “Ho had plenty of money,” remarked a man in the crowd, but Mr Erskine retorted, “Ho had his fare paid, but he did not get a bob.”—(Laughter.) These unemployed had only ono objection, that, while people from this country were told' they should emigrate, foreigners were being allowed to como into this country. That Was a very good argument, and ho sympathised with it, but it. was a matter for the Government to deal with. Commissioner Bullard (emigration secretary of the Salvation Array) said that considerably over 100,000 emigrants had been taken to the overseas dominions by the Salvation Army, and as the failures had been only i per cent., ho thought their optimism in that branch of work was justified. Mr E. Jowett pointed out that in 1921 the population of Australia benight 20 times per head the amount of British manufactured goods that wero bought per head of the population of the United States pf America, So fair as wages and working conditions were concerned, the best friends that the working classes of this country had were the British dominions. None but loyal British citizens were wanted in Australia. Such a country was well rid of people who did not appreciate" the advantages of the British Empire. At each of the platforms a resolution was adopted, expressing unswerving loyalty tot the Crown, declaring* that the development of the natural resources of the dominions beyond the seas was the surest menus of serving the prosperity of the people, and recording unfailing belief in the unity of the Empire as the best guarantee of world peace and progress. In a message. Colonel Amery said: “It is to the,trade and development of the Empire rather than to the recovery of Europe that we must look for the future employment and well-being of our people. The development of the boundless resources of ,the territories under the British flag offers not only an unlimited opening and a wonderful opporf unity for those who wish to go out and make new homes for themselves overseas, but also an ever-increasing field’ of employment for those who stay in the Old Country. That is the true road out of our present difficulties.”