BRITAIN’S RECOVERY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22260, 12 May 1934, Page 12

BRITAIN’S RECOVERY

AN INTERESTING SURVEY CAPTAIN BRISCOE’S VIEWS Reference to the recuperative powers displayed by Great Britain in the period that has elapsed since the dark days of 1931 was made by Captain R. G. Briscoe,' a member of the British House of Commons and a director of the firm of Briscoe and Co., Ltd., at a meeting with the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce in the Tudor Hall lounge yesterday morning. The occasion was an informal morning tea at which the visitor was the guest of the chamber. The president (Mr W. H. Brent) was in the chair. _ _ Captain Briscoe spoke of the position in England to-day, particularly in regard to the burning question of the restrictions on dairy produce. There was never a time before in the history of Great Britain when there was greater reason to be proud of her than there wag to-day; first, because there was no better system, of government than the present democratic one;. and secondly, because during . the times of depresson England showed unmistakeable signs of stability* which wa*.responsible for saving the world economically. - ; ’ i: v!' v In 1931, Great Britain was_ on-the point of bankruptcy, and the position became,, worse and worse until the Rational Gov-, errqpent was formed. Then in a very short time matters began to improve. Thanks were due to the British Cabinet for the wonderful improvement shown all over the country, with the exception of Lancashire and the shipping trade. There was every prospect of a further improvement. Some three-quarters of a million men had been put back to work when tariffs were introduced. His personal opinion was that the world was going mad. In the old days the solution of the problem was to he found in the Cheapness of goods, but the reverse had since been resorted to. 'He hated any form of restriction, and he urged the., chamber to fight against it. When the Ottawa agreement ended in 1035, Great Britain would reserve for _ herself' the right to consult with the dominions in the matter of any restrictions she might think fit to impose on the importation to the Old Country of dairy produce. Denmark's productions that found their way to Great Britain were restricted, but the British dominiohs could send Home as much as they liked. New Zealand and Australia had now to come to some agreement whether to place some restriction on their products or to wait until the termination of the Ottawa agreement, and then . discover that 1 Great Britain was forced to, cut down her imports of products from the dominions. It was a question for the Governments of New Zealand and Australia to settle.. There would-then be some hope of arranging an increase of: prices at Home, Captain Briscoe answered a few questions, and a vote of thanks proposed by the vice-president (Mr C. B. _ Barrowclough), was carried by acclamation.