EMPIRE PRODUCE BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19196, 12 June 1924, Page 11

EMPIRE PRODUCE BOARD

SUGGESTIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT. PREFERENCES AND FOOD SUPPLIES. (Prom Oun Own Correspondent.) LONDON. May L A memorandum on Ike subject of preference lias been submitted to the Chancellor of tho Exchequer, at hia request, by the British Empire Producers’ Organisation. Special reference is made to the Economis Conference resolutions to be placed before Parliament. It is pointed out that while neither the suggestions made to the Imperial Economic Conference by the late Government nor the actual recommendations of tho conference itself arc binding in any legal or constitutional sense on the various Parliaments of the Empire, it is pre-eminently to be desired that each Parliament should endeavour to regard thonf from a non-party joint of view. From the economic standpoint it is urged that there is every reason for carrying out tlie proposals of iho conference. The present position of disorganisation of essential supplies from within the Empire calls for immediate remedy if this country is not to lose (he best of its custom and the main repositories of the British high standard of living for the operative. . The remedies -suggested to the conference and approved by it were not the suggestions of a moment, but were merely tlio official seal set upon the concentrated programme carefully collated from the opinions of the whole of the industries concerned. The doubt which now obtains in regard to the future is all the more serious following upon a period of expectation, and tho revulsion of feeling that will be caused throughout the Empire overseas by any reversal of an Empire policy which is desired by an overwhelming majority in llui Empire would have most serious results and would probably direct a decisive blow at the usefulness of Empire conferences of any kind. The organisation considers that the creation of an Imperial Economic Committee, as recommended by the Economic Conference, is essential to a continuity of Empire policy. Short summaries are given of tho arguments in support of the various preferences recommended by the Economic Conference, and the advantages of preferences to Empire firms using Empire materials and labour in the case of Government and public body contracts are urged CO-ORDINATING SOUBCES OP PRODUCTION. The organisation strongly advocates the establishment by the British Government, in conjunction with the Governments of tho dominions and colonies, of an Empire F'roWucc Board charged with the task cf coordinating Empire sources cf production and securing the food supply of this country. Such a board, it is suggested, should be composed of representatives of producers and consumers, and should act in close touch with the Imperial Economic Committee, but should not Ire part of that committee. J The following terras of reference for (ho proposed Produce Board are suggested: 1. To co-operate with Produoere’ Boards and Associations, established and to be established within the Empire, to secure uniformity of grading, standard qualities, eoordination for transport by land and sea, and a simplification of the. process between producer and consumer. i. To investigate and advise upon the possibilities of developing existin'; and opening new sources of food supply within tho Empire, together with the question of finance in regard to these. •1. To advise on the provisions of cheap storage, transport, collection, handling at ports, and distribution. 4. To assist tho producers to act collectively in dealing with the retail trades. 5. To call for information and to make recommendations with a view to reducing the discrepancy between the prices paid to the producer and by the consumer respectively. 6. To prepare and publish widely tables showing from week to week tho comparison between the prices paid to the producer; paid in tho wholesale market; and paid-re-tail by the consumer, with a view to drawing public attention to any discrepancies that may exist. 7. To examine all possible methods of applying preferential treatment to Empire supplies, particularly in regard to marketing, finance, transport, etc., and to examine the operation of preferential tariffs as applied to essential foodstuffs in foreign countries and systems.