EMPIRE TRADE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18875, 30 May 1923, Page 8

EMPIRE TRADE

POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT. AN ENCOURAGING PLANS FOR ECONOMIC CONFERENCE. . iiTbom Oob Own Cormsspondent.) LONDON, April 13. The Government has determined to tackle the.question of the development of Empire trade at once. In the debate in the House this week on this important question Sir Philip Lloyd-Greame (President of tht Board of Irade) made the most encouraging utterance that has yet been made b> any responsible Minister in recent times. Programmes for the Crown colonies are ready, and at the earliest opportunity the House is to be asked for a vote to baci credit schemes that will enable these pro-1 grammes to be put into immediate operation. Ihe Imperial Economic Conference is not to bo a gathering for the passing of pious resolutions. The policy of the Government will be to co-operate with the dominions for the acceleration of development and the principal question will be how best to use the credit of ttoe Mother Country. The work of Trade Commissioners is to be extended, and already it has been decided to make new appointments at Vancouver and Bombay. The subject was raised by Lord Ednam, who moved a resolution calling attention to the state of trade with p]urope and the Empire, and urging that the House, while fully desirous of promoting the re-estab-lishment of our relations with European countries on the basis of mutual advantage, wished the Government to take immediate steps to bring about the fullest possible expaneion of trade within the Empire in close co-operation with the authorities of the oversea dominions and colonies. The future success of inter-Imperial trade, said Lord Ednam, would depend, in the main, on the energy and enterprise of private individuals and private concerns, and also on the toughness and grit of future settlers, but it was for the Imperial Government, in the ' closest possible co-operations and agreement with the authorities of all portions of the Empire, to make a start and point out the way in regard to the development of Imperial trade. It was the Government's duty to organise, to promote schemes, to give the widest possible encouragement to private enterprise, to legislate where legislation was necessary, and to give financial assistance where that was possible or wise. Too much capital from this country was being invested abroad x and he hoped the Government would devise some means of directing more and more capital every year from this country towards the development of our great heritage, for he believed that within the Empire lay the kfiy to those great post-war problems which at present appeared to us to be almost beyond solution. " Sir Harry Brittain said that every Department was full of facts and figures. What was now wanted was action, and he belived the country would support the Government in going full steam ahead. He quoted a statement miide by Mr Joseph Chamberlain in 1803 thai, we had an Empire which, with decent organisation, and consolidation, might be absolutely self-sustain-ing, i WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL DO. With regard to the Economic Conference, Sir Philip Lloyd-Graeme said that he believed he would be expressing the sentiment not only of those who went into the Conference on behalf of the British Government but of those who represented the dominions, that this should be a conference, not devoted to pious resolutions, but conducted on business lines. It was natural that we should want to do more business with our own people across the seas. They were our best customers; per head they did pounds of trade with us where other people did shillings. They gave to us a preference in their markets, and even if that were riot so, the natural instinct of our people would be to develop the lands whioh were part ot their own Empire. Economic facts as they existed to-day justified to the full the wisdom of that policy as a practical policy. The Government could not be content to let trade keep its old oconomio courses, but "new courses must be made for trade and new markets must be developed by oiir own credit and our own initiative. —("Hear, hoar.") A further study of the conditions of dominion markets would greatly increase our trade with them. The excellent work of the Trade Commissioners would be carried on and would be developed. It would 6e developed in Canada,.where this year a new office would be opened in Vancouver, and the office in Winnipeg would be kept open until then. The Government also proposed to develop this work in India, and to establish a Trade Commissioner in Bombay. A PROGRAMME PREPARED. Sir Philip went on to speak of the great opportunity we had in Canada as against the United States, owing to the economic conditions which prevailed. A country could not adopt a policy of absolutely exclusive protection and, at the saine time, do a great export trade. If, in addition to a verv high and exclusive protection, a country was the fortunate recipient of the gold of the debt payment of other countries, there could be no doubt that that country was in the worst possible condition to do a large export trade,* and this was a vital moment at which our merchants and manufacturers should find their way into markets where American competition had been keenest. The House, he further mentioned, would discuss a Bill which would enable the great cotton industry to join, with the Government in the work which the Empire Cotton, Trade Corporation was carrying on. The present state of affairs could not be allowed to continue when we had within our colonies the very right stamo of soil on which cotton could be grown. But scientific work was useless unless: at the same time we developed the transport, irrigation, and the whole of the natural resources on which the cotton could be grown. That was a policy which the Government intended to pursue actively. As regarded the development of the Crown colonies there was no need to wait. The Government knew the resources, what was needed to develop them, and the mutual trade which would flow from the development of these resources. The programme of development was ready. If those Crown colonies were left to develop it by their own resources they must take 10, 15, or 20 years. If, on the other hand, we, by a wise use of our credit, were ablo to tide over the initial period, that development would be anticipated. Orders would come to this country, and we should not be spending money on unnecessary relief work. A great useful trade with those colonies would be created for generations to come. That policy, also, would be actively pursued by the Colonial Office. No legislation was required for it, but a vote of the Houso' would be needed in order to authorise the Secretary of State to make the necessary contribution. No doubt that would be done this session. The plans for the development of this trade were ready, and would be put- into force with reasonable speed. Ho assured the House that there would be no undue delay on the part of the Colonial Office, and the necessary advances would be asked for as soon as the schemes were ready. The Colonial Office already had wide powers under the Empire Settlement Act. CO-OPERATION OF THE DOMINION'S. They, would lake up at the Imperial Conference the whole question of the co-opera-tion of tho dominions and the State Governments in the development of their resources. They would also consider at the conference tho question of preference and

the possibilities of its extension: He knew that all those who entered • the conference would go there with the common object, so far as the circumstances of their individual States permitted, of developing, whether by preference or financial co-opera-tion, their mutual resources to the best advantage. This country would enter the conference with -the intention, so far as practicable, of using its credit for promoting big schemes of emigration, which must be to the ultimate advantage of both sides. Such schomes would _ mean immediate orders for goods in this country, a better opportunity for the people, and the link which was needed for the development of the Empire. This was no dream of a theorist. It was practical politics of the most practical kind. Our people were as anxious to co-operate with the dominions as the dominions were anxious to co-operate with us, and if we pursued fearlessly and boldly a policy such as that he had adumbrated it would be as }reat a strength for us in peace as it was in war. By developing the resources of the Empire we would once again save our selves by our exertions and other nations by our example. OTIR BEST CUSTOMERS. The Daily Telegraph regards the debate as being most valuable, especially in view of the coming Economical Conference, for it revealed the serious purpose with which the Government is preparing for this exchange of vie'ws with dominion representatives. "The occasion," says the leader writer, "is one for deeds and not words. Our situation demands it not less than theirs. We are. alike under the, pressure of ' economic necessity. In this country heavy burdens are being borne with cheerful optimism; we are settling down to tne talk of paying the American debt. The fact that the United States is hindering payment in goods though she possesses already about half the gold of the world, makes it'ell ihe more incumbent upon to make the most not merely of the wealth of this country, but of the vast wealth of the oversea dominions. They want men and womeir as well as money; we can supply their needs. The Socialists declare, in perversity of spirit, that such emigration as may bi> encouraged by the Empire Settlement Act will not directly cure our- dom.estio problem of unemployment. It almost seems from their asseverations as though they feared that it might do so. Mr_ Ormsby Gore, at tny rate, has no such anticipation, nor has anyone else who has studied. the problem. ■ "The Empire Settlement Act might be move accurately described as the Empire Development Act. We possess credit as well as workers, and the dominions are crying out for both, while the ties of blood ensure that the men and women who make their, homes overseas will grow food which wo can exchange for manufactured articles. That is surely a policy on which men of all parties can agree. We must do our share in the maniflold work of developing the vast estate, nearly one-quarter of the earth's surface, which has been brought under the British flag, and to determine how we best can do it is the purpose of the forthcoming Economic Conference. Means must be discussed of improving communications ny cable, wireless, and steamship, of cementing trade relations by eliminating all the obstacles which now exist, and of bring further acres overseas under cultivation. la so far as internal conditions permit, there must be some sort of pooling of interests in an atmosphere of mutual helpfulness. In the meantime, we welcome Sir Philip Lloyd declaration that the Government is going forward with schemes for the development of the wonderful resources of the Crown colonies and dependencies. We must not prove unworthy stewards in the future, as we fear that we have been in the past. . . The hope which is bringing representatives of the self-governing dominions here m the coming autumn is that the people of this country, with its highly-developed financial system and its prestige, will study their peculiar problems through the same spectacles as have been used to investigate the situation, in the Crown colonies and dependencies. It is a matter of self-interest, but, even, more important, it is a matter of mutual insurance" of every asset in the Empire—its unity, its commercial progress, and its political stability; and at this gathering the representatives of the dominions,, as well as of this country, should place all their cards on the conference table, assured that each partner will 'play the game' in order to promote the welfare of all in a spirit or real partnership. .The British peoples overseas are already our best customers, as well as our kinsmen, and this debate that they will be. treated as such.