INTER-EMPIRE TRADE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3514, 19 July 1921, Page 13

INTER-EMPIRE TRADE.

AO SETTLED POLICY. LONDON, July 14. Ur Hughes, in opening the conference of Empire producers, said that the problem which confronted public men was how to adjust the social foundations to avoid a deserted countryside and congested cities. England’s greatness rested on her manufactures, whim the dominions depended on agriculture and primary industries. Britain could not maintain 45,000,000 people without getting food from overseas. They must also import raw materials. These could be supplied from within the Empire. Britain was struggling to-day- against intense competition, and her trade and industrial conditions were not as they should be. Mr Hughes said; “If Britain stood alone—if there were swept from her ali that Empire which is her pride—she would be in a still less advantageous position to maintain herself in her struggle against her rivals. One would imagine that the advantages of trade within the Empire were so obvious as to need no advocacy; yet, looking around, I see no evidence of a settled policy in the matter, which was vital to this country and to the Empire generally. It is not for me to trespass on domestic affairs, but I cannot avoid saying that every other part of the Empire has a policy.” Mr Hughes continued: “One thing is clear, and that is that we will never develop the great resources of the Empire until there is a definite determination to abide by a settled policy. It can be shown that it will be equally as profitable to trade within the Empire as with foreigners; but, even if it were not so, there might be reasons why we should develop our own heritage instead of that of our actual rivals and potential enemies. During the war England was within 90 days of being starved. Where did the food come from that saved her but from the dominions? The maximum food that England can produce is a third of her requirements. Canada and Australasia could easily supply the other two-thirds between them. What was required was assurances, with a settled policy. Production was stimulated during the last four or five years by the assurances which were given to agriculturists in Australia, which undoubtedly saved them from ruin. I do not suggest that Government guarantees are desirable or necessary-, but the circumstances of each industry- must be considered. Would a business man allow his own resources to lie idle while he bought supplies from a rival or a declared enemy ? How does the Empire differ from a great business? Is it, good or bad that we, with the richest heritage of any Empire of any time, should permit glorious opportunities to slip by when they could be translated into pounds, shillings, and pence? The four great dominions bought £180,000,000 worth of goods from Britain in 1920—more than America, Japan, and Germany together. Your kinsmen say- ‘Buy from us.’ If the Empire is to endure we must march with the times. Having a well-defined policy of trade within the Empire, we must entrench it within an unassailable citadel independent of the rest of the world.” EM PI RE PREFERENCE. ADVOCATED BY MR MASSEY. LONDON, July 14. Lord Sydenham, presiding at the Empire Producers’ Association’s luncheon to Mr Massey, said that no dominion was more devoted to Imperial unity than New

Zealand. Ho hoped that Mr Massey would not find the terms of the mandate for Samoa, which he was called upon to administer, intolerable, though speaking frank,y he feared that he would. Lord Sydenham welcomed Mr Massev as one of the strong fellows of the Empire. Mr Massey, replying, advocated the adoption of the well-thought out policy of Empire preference which would encourage production, bring waste places under cultivation, provide remunerative employment, and keep the citizens under their own flag. It was equally necessary that Great Britain should recover her old position as a creditor nation. Mr Massey suggested that the Empire Producers’ Association should adopt the slogan ‘‘British goods for British citizens, and British citizens for British goods.” The sheep statistics of the world for the past 10 years showed a decline of 20 per cent., foreshadowing that die wool supply- would soon be inadequate to meet the demand. The same conclusion applied to the mutton supply. Thus the producers might expect higher prices in the near future. Referring to the chairman’s allusion to mandates, Mr Massey said that New Zealand intended to do its duty bv the Samoans, and would accord them 'treatment, simi’ar to that enjoyed by the Maori -population in New Zealand. He hoped that President Harding's conference would be thoroughly' successful, but he emphasised the fact that the Empire's very existence was based on sea power, and, lie stated, “We cannot allow ourselves to live on the sufferance of any other nation.” The British Navy must bo second to none in the world.' Nevertheless he would welcome anv arrangement between the Great Powers that- would not endanger the safety- of the Empire. Mr Massey stated that the conference had decided on the establishment of an Empire wireless chain. THE SAMOAN MANDATE. LONDON, July 15. Mr Maseey. speaking at a luncheon given by- the Empire Producers’ Association {referred to the new problem that New Zealand had to face in having been entrusted with a mandate over Samoa. He instanced the success which had attended the giving of the Maoris the franchise. He said that New Zealand would do exactly the same for the Samoans. Empire preference was more needed than ever now that Great Britain was a debtor country. He said he believed that wool prices would recover in a few years. . Eight countries now had 189,000.000 sheep, compared with 354,000.000 a decade ago. The demand would soon overtake the supply. He said he hoped that the Disarmament Lonference would succeed, but the British navy must be second to none in order to secure the safety of the Empire. NEW ZEALAND MEAT AND WOOL. LONDON, July 15. Sir Thomas Mackenzie, speaking at the Empire Agricultural Conference, criticised the British handling of New Zealand meat and wool. He asserted that the Argentine’s products were allowed to reach the British markets in preference to tnose from New Zealand. The Empire Agricultural Conference unanimously passed a resolution in favour of the formation of a Provisional Committee, consisting of delegates of the present conference, to frame the outlines of a policy for the consideration of the agricultural associations throughout the Empire, and to deal, on behalf of those associations, with any crisis that may arise.