TRADE BARRIERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20337, 20 February 1928, Page 5

TRADE BARRIERS.

THE LEAGUE AND TARIFFS. CONFERENCE AT THE GUIDE ALL. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, December A conference arranged by the League of Nations Union to discuss the recommendations of the International Economic Conference at Geneva has been in progress at the' Guildhall. There were over 1000 delegates from " different parts of the country. Discussion was mainly concerned with the breaking down of trade barriers. Among the speakers were Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister (president of the Board of Trade), Professor Gilbert Murray, Mr Philip Snowden, and Sir Alan Anderson, vice-president of the International Chamber of Commerce. At the concluding session Sir Herbert Samuel addressed the delegates. in those days of democracy,” he said, “ international movements, like national, de pend for their support not upon emperors or statesmen, but upon public opinion. In Geneva there is a vast organisation for constructive thinking and for joint action among the nations. it is the task of the League of Nations Union in this country to make that work known. What has the Economic Conference said? It has demanded the return of a general, policy of freer international trade, and an end to the increas-' in tariffs, and to move in the opposite direction. “We are accustomed,” said Sir Herbert, “ to marvel at the great prosperity of the United States. That country has 48 States. If each of these States had boon a separate economic unit with its own tariffs and Customs barriers, the present prosperity of America would never have come to ho. Germany before 1860 aas divided into i large number of separate Customs areas. The growing wealth and prosperity af Germany dated from the day when the Customs Union was created and international barriers broken down. “ But in Europe now there are 27 Customs areas, each with a full equipment of tariff barriers and Customs houses. If those hindrances were removed, not only in Europe hut throughout the world, the nations would enjov an era of prosperity such as mankind has never known The spirit, therefore, that underlies (he results of the Economic Conference it Genova is the spirit that makes for peace.”