IMPERIAL PREFERENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19249, 13 August 1924, Page 10

IMPERIAL PREFERENCE.

AFFRONT UPON THE DOMINIONS. HOUSE OF LORDS’ DEBATE. HOPEFUL SIGNS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, July 2. A good deal has been said during the past week regarding the rejection of the Imperial Conference preference resolutions. Sir Robert Horne. M.P.. speaking at Bridge of Allan, said; ‘‘l challenge and defy Mr Asquith to point to a single thing in any of the resolutions which would impose any burden in a single creature in this country. Mr Asquith could have voted for all of them on every ground of free trade and have saved the appalling insult given to people who were brought across the seas and kept in London for months, only to have their resolutions thrown back in faces with contempt. What a moan and deplorable figure we cut! If the dominions chose to take the worst possible view of the situation I do not think any of us can complain. We have put an affront upon the dominions which it almost tears one’s heart to think of.” Without dividing, the House of Lords a few days ago expressed its opinion that the decision, of the Government not to endorse the tariff preferences arrived at by tno Imperial Conference was to be regretted and- “must seriously weaken the stability of our Imperial trade relations and prejudice the unity of the Empire.” Lord Long, who proposed the resolution, asked their lordships to carry the motion, and thereby convey a very great amount of satisfaction and some degree ot comfort to the overseas Empire. The appeal was generously responded to by a very large assembly of peers. CHANGE OF PUBLIC OPINION.

Lord Long declared that, as a convinced and devoted advocate of Imperial preference, lie rejoiced at the result of the division in the House of Commons, and said that from information he had received ho believed that had it not been for the great pressure exercised by the Government on members of Us party the majority of six by which the House rejected the first resolution would havo been turned into a considerable minority. Ho could not help feeling that there wore evidences abroad of a growing change of public opinion on the subject, and he looked forward to a time when there would be a much more general movement in support of Imperial preference than there was at present. Opposition to the proposals was not because the supplies of the Empire were insufficient, or that the result would be an increase in the cost of living, but simply on account cf a rigid adherence to the old doctrine of free trade. He challenged the statement that the Government was debarred from considering the question on its merits because it had a mandate at the last election to the contrary. Lord Beauchamp said it was because these preferences were a step towards a general tariff that free-traders objected to them.

Lord Emmott said that though he was a supporter of Imperial preference he could not vote for the resolution. He thought the Government ought to have adopted a more sympathetic attitude towards the Preference resolutions. It was surely worth while to make the required gesture to the dominions. But it was not wise to say that the unity of the Empire was being imperilled. Lord Parmoor considered that it was lamentable that one party in one of our great dominions appeared to have adopted as the basis of its polity that unless pro ferential duties were granted an unfriendly feeling would arise. Members of the Government did not yield to anyone in their loyalty to our dominions throughout tho Empire THE PUBLIC CONSCIENCE.

Commenting on the debate, the Daily Telegraph says; ‘The total effect is that, although an unwise and regrettable step has been taken, it: has been done in such a manner as to advertise to all the Empire the fact that this question remains alive, that the possibilities of progress along this line of Empire development have not been by any means destroyed, and that there are plentiful signs, as Lord Long observed, of some very significant thinking on the subject, being done both among Labour and Literal partisans. Lord Birkenhead was unquestionably right in saying that the dominions’ request for Preferences under the British tariff ‘would be raised again and again, and would one day be successful.’ The public conscience will not tolerate for ever the sense that harm is being- done to (he sentiment of Imperial unitv for .no purpose whatever but the gratification of a bigoted and short-sighted political prejudice of which many who feel themselves hound to subscribe to it are plainly ashamed.’ 1 EMPIRE DANGERS. The Hon. 11. P. Oolebatch (Agent-General for West Australia), sneaking at a luncheon at Wembley, said that we should be a very blind people if wo considered that all was well within the British Empire to-dav. People had forgotten the mistakes by which America and Java were lost to'the Empire, and there were dangers confronting this country and the dominions which might lead to irreparable results. lie trusted that those results might be averted but if could only be by the peoples of this country and the 'dominions coming closer together and understanding each other better. The Mother Country was suffering from grievous unemployment caused by an excess of population. while Australia.' was suffering from retarded development caused by want of population. Thai was a problem that seemed to suggest its own solution. The Earl of Harm why. who has visited Australia three times, expressed himself as being greatly imnressed with its wonderful possibilities. If that vast dominion belonged to Germany or America, would they bo satisfied with the slow progress that was being made in its development? We could not expect the Australian Stales to do much more than they were doing, and it he,hoved us to be much more liberal in the help wo gave them. The action of the present Government in regard to Imperial preference had been disastrous. They must not ho downhearted. The feeling wa.s growing stronger daily among the people of this country as to the absolute necessity of preference, and he was as sure as-that day followed night that Imperial preference would come. IRON WORKERS’ VIEWPOINT. A very significant statement was made by the chairman at the annual meeting of Messrs Guest, Keen, and Neltlofolds (Ltd.), the great iron and steel firm. “With regard to our prospects,” he said, “conditions are still so unstable that I will not attempt to make a forecast of what our trade may be during the present year. Fortunately wo are not dependent on any one industry, and in that fact the strength of our position lies. , Our most important overseas customers are our own colonies and dependencies, and the preferences they give help to shelter and sustain British trade from the competition cf ctner industrial nations. We mean to hold our own in those markets where the preferences accorded to their own manufacturers do not preclude the possibility of our competing successfully. Our policy should be to encourage tbo dominions to continue, and perhaps to extend, their preferential treatment for British goods, and. in my opinion, it is greatly to he regretted that a more favourable attitude was not adopted by the Government towards the Imperial economic preference resolutions, with a view to maintaining and strengthening the ties between ns. The purchasing power of the dominions can he increased only by the gradual development of their resources, the surest way to which is to increase our own consumption of their pr.>dnets.”