Patea & Waverley Press MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1923 IMPERIAL TRADE

Patea Mail, Volume XLVI, 10 September 1923, Page 2

Patea & Waverley Press MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1923 IMPERIAL TRADE

A GREAT deal of nonsense lias 'been* written of late with regard to the necessity of once again trading with Germany, if only to enable tier to pay the reparations fixed by the Commission specially appointed under the Versailles Treaty. If, however, the payment of the indemnity so fixed is to depend upon the building up of Gorman trade at the expense of the British workman then it were belter not to have the indemnity paid at all. ;i ße British, buy British or go without” is a good motto to have and to keep, in view of the bitter lessons of the past. 'Preference should be given by the authorities throughout the Empire to British goods, and the people would soon find that they could do without the products of cither Germany or any other foreign country. What the policy of preference within the Empire means is shown by the fact that since hir Austin Chamberlain first gave practical effect to this principle in his Budget of 1919, trade within 1 lie Empire has increased by leaps and bounds. Of the tea imported into Britain at the j>rcsent time no less than 90 per cent, is Empire-grown, and the price to the peftple has been reduced by twopence per -Jb. The imports of Empire cocoa have risen from 50 per cent, ox the whole to 90 per cent., and the imports of Empire

coffee have risen from 80 per cent, to 45 per cent. In the same way the British people are now consuming 22 per cent, of Empire sugar as compared with 7 per cent before the Avar. The preference on wines is helping a growing industry in Australia and South Africa, while Empire tobacco imports have advanced from 14 per cent, of the total to over 6 per cent. Dried fruits produced in the Empire now come in a proportion of 17 per cent, of the total imports, as compared with 2 per cent, before the preference was granted. These ligures are exceedingly instructive and encouraging, and they demonstrate very strikingly what has been done in a few years with a comparatively small rate of preference. It is perhaps in the case of sugar that the benefits have been most evident. Everyone familiar with the trade of the West Indies is aware of the serious crisis through which the sugar planters in those colonies have passed during the last few years. The preferential rates granted by Great Britain and Canada have undoubtedly gone a long way towards saving tnc Empire sugar-growing industry from complete ruin. It will, we understand, bo one of the tasks of the Colonial Premiers who will foregather in London next month to go carefully into The question of tuo economic working of a preference policy in all its aspects, so as to secure the maximum benefit, not only to fhe producing country, but to the Empire as a whole. ! If the efforts of the Premiers at the Imperial Economic Conference are crowned with success there need be no question of Germany ever again being built up by British gold. The Empire unitea can stand foursquare to the world and defy any Power to wreck it. It is only common, sense, therefore, that the authorities, both at Horne and in the Dominions, should do all in their power to still further cement the ties that bind the Empire together. We earnestly hope that more will be heard of trade within the Empire and less of trade with the Hun.