England's Food Supply.

Otago Witness, Issue 2151, 16 May 1895, Page 8

England's Food Supply.

TO THS EDITOK. Sir, — The paper read by Professor Long at the Imperial Institute recently on England's fo-d supply is well worth our eerious consideration. The papor dealt chiefly with ih3 three main branches of foad supply included ia whe.it, melt, and ihAcy produce; a r^d went; on to point cut that these could bj supplied entirely within the domain of the empire. England cannot produce all of theEC articl-s consumed, but there is no reason why the colonies 6hould not make up the deficit. In thes3 days of cheap and speedy trumit the laaicr or distance is prac'ically removed, and would be removed wholly if England deali with her colonies oa a reciprocal trade basis instead of maintaining a universal freetrade policy.

Other nations direct hostile tariff* at England aud her dependencies, aud yet the product) of these cheap labour countries is admitted into Eaglaud on a freetrade tariff, While lam not an advocate of protection as a general principle, yet I think that the mo&t favoured trade relations ought to be extended by England to her own colonies, while foreign nations should be treated with less favourable tecrag. The first effect; of sueb a policy might be the hardening of prices for wheat, meat, aud dairy produce, with a correspondingly increased cost to the consumer; but ife would not be long before the empire would be ee'f-oontained and selfsustaining in these necessaries of lifo. Imperial freetrade, with a email tariff impoßfc upon foreign produca and cornmoditic?, is the line along which imperial fede-ation ought to run. A trade federatioa would ia time lead to a clossr federation all round. Bub it appears futile to speak of federation while the colonies gi d afc each other with hostile tariff?, and while EogUnd treats tha colomas as foreign countries. There is a wide market for colouiil produce in Enghnd, and our resources are capable of greab expansion if only sufficient inducement is offered. Patriotism demands that tha colonies 6hall be bound to the mother country by a closer tie, and whib)hope to draw tho bond? closer while the, colonies are treated no better than Epg'anda hereditary enemies ! Eng'and wonld benefit by extending to the cjlonies a little consideration, as in return the colonies would cffjrd a better outlet for British goods, if England gave as the most favoured market for ouc fcod products. What the Monroe doctrine is to America, Imperial federation ought to be to England, bub clearly the firs i; step towards thtt broader federation wh'ch ought to bind the Eoglbh peoploiuto one' united bond is a trade federation. As these colonies of the south have everything to gain tefc us hope they will make combined repreeentalion to the Home Government, and get at least the thin end of the wedge inserted. The slightest concession in our favour is all we want to begin with, and we deem that we hive a good right to ask it. — I aai, &0., May 10. A. Secundus.