EMPIRE FREE TRADE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20793, 12 August 1929, Page 10

EMPIRE FREE TRADE

MR AMERY’S OPINION. AN IMPRACTICABLE IDEAL. (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) QUEBEC, August 10. (Received August 11, at 5.5 p.m.) L. C. Amery (formerly British Dominions Secretary) arrived hero today. He said: “Empire Freetrade is an ideal, but it is quite impracticable.” He absolutely favoured closer commercial relations between the constituent parts of the Empire, hut he nevertheless felt that the slogan of Freetrade would not' accomplish the purpose desired in the old country. For example they could not tax wheat in order to give Canada preference, and it was inconceivable that Canada in various ways might not find it convenient to reduce taxation on one purely British product. Each commodity must be considered by itself. Preference could be arranged for Canadian wheat perhaps by a subsidy or decreased freight rates, but they could not be of a nature that would increase the British cost of living. Mr P. C. Larkin, Canadian High Commissioner in ijondon, has been appointed to represent Canada at The Hague conference. Australian Press AssociationUnited Service,