IMPERIAL TRADE DEVELOPMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18677, 5 October 1922, Page 4

IMPERIAL TRADE DEVELOPMENT

CALL FOR UNITED ACTION. Tho Morning Post of July 21 says that the Empire Development- Union has been formed to promote and develop the (facie relations of the United Kingdom within the Empire on the lines of resolutions unanimously adopted at successive Imperial Conferences. Viscount Long is president, Sir Vincent Cail'ard vice-president, and Mr W A. S. He wins chairman. Tho complimentary development of the resources of tho Empire on lines of mutual helpfulness is the Hue of action on which the new union intends to proceed. Arrangements, have been made for the necessary expert staff, so that the ample materials already in existence may be fully utilised for the advancement of its policy. Everyone must realise (a memorandum issued by the association states) the grave situation which is created by tho collapse of our export Irade. tho menacing extent of unemployment, and the embarrassment of our national finances. The problem calls for treatment on the broad lines of statesmanship laid down at the Imperial Conferences of 1917 and 1918. All the Govermnonts of the Empire were represented at those conferences, and the resolutions then unanimously adopted together form the basis of an immediately practicable policy. Their governing principle was that, in order to re-establish the industries of the world, tho British Empire must, approach tho problem with a united mind. Building upon this foundation, Great Britain would be in a position to make arrangements with her Allies and other countries with a- view to the same proeels bf reconstruction. SELF-SUSTAINING EMPIRE. Tile decisions of these conferences embrace legislative and administrative measures dealing with the development of Empire resources by joint action, the organisation of supplies of raw materials, the safeguarding of essential industries, protection against dumping, the development of Customs and Administrative preferences within the Empire, and special subjects for co-operation, sucb a_s non-ferrous metals, dyes, shipping, migration, and the commercial relationship of each part of the Empire with foreign countries. This policy of Imperial partnership is (he outcome of a long process of development, in (he formulation of which, with complete unanimity, nil parts of the British Empire and all British political parties have taken their share. The British Government and Parliament (the statement proceeds) have in several ways given administrative and legislative effect- to these resolutions, and the overseas Governments represented at tho Conference undertook to reconsider what steps could be taken in their own legislative and administrative spheres to attain th c ends desired. For this purpose material put together for tho Imperial Conference of 1918 was sent to them to assist their efforts. Much has been done in thi-- direction in some of the dominions, and the time has now come to rfcvieW the measures taken in each part of the Empire and indicate ihe lines of further co-operation. OUR BEST MARKET. Thc vital importance of immediate action is shown Kv (he whole range of figures relating to inter-imperial relations. These verify Ihe statement made by Mr Joseph Chamberlain in 1905, when lie said: “Wo have an Empire which, with decent organ!‘sation"iinrl" i’Oiisolidafioii, ' irtfght be absolutely self-sustaining. There is no article of your food, no raw material of your t'ado, no necessity of your lives, no luxury of your existence, which cannot be produced somewhere or other in tho British Empire, if the British Empire holds together, and if wo who have, inherited it are worthy of our opportunities.” ... In further illustration .of (ho bearing of this policy upon our present economic difficulties (the memorandum concludes) it may bo noted I hat before the war our exports to the self-governing dominions were more than double our exports to the markets of Uonlral Europe, and that our export trade to Russia, Germany, and the United States, with a total pomilalion of nearly 350 millions, was £88.000,000 in 1915. while that to Australia, New Zealand, ,South Africa, and Canada, with'their population of less ihan 20 millions, reached £91.000,000. Taking the last pre-war year as a basis of comparison, every Briton in these four dominions overseas spent on an average eight times as much as every German on British poods, 15 times as much as every American, and 46 times as much as every Russian.