The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1930. EMPIRE TRADE.

Southland Times, Issue 21198, 26 September 1930, Page 6

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1930. EMPIRE TRADE.

With signs of changing opinions in the Old Country the prospects of some practical steps in connection with the extension of 'lmperial Preference are more hopeful than they were when the Empire’s Prime Ministers met in London before. Among the mpst significant developments are those which have appeared among the Liberals and members of the Labour Party, because these two political organizations have been the strong advocates of Free Trade. For some months The Nation, wherein the most energetic of the Liberals find expression for their views, has published articles and letters discussing the advisability of reviewing the party’s attitude to Free Trade, and several prominent members of the party have taken the stand that in the face of the post-war developments a blind adherence to Free Trade may be the worst kind of Conservatism. They do not go the full length of accepting Protection, but it is obvious that there is growing a feeling that changed conditions demand a searching examination of the traditional policy to make sure that it is still sound. This evidence of uncertainty is most illuminating, and it must be measured in conjunction with the bolder acceptance of the advantages of some form of protection revealed in the Labour conferences. Members of the MacDonald Government have not weakened in their stand on protective tariffs. In fact Mr Snowden, in unequivocal terms stated that -while the Imperial Conference might discuss Imperial Preference from any angle, the British Government would accept no decision which involved putting a duty ou foodstuffs. As an alternative members of the MacDonald Government have mentioned bulk purchases, and the creation of import boards, but an examination of these proposals has brought to light the suspicion that in the long run a scheme of this kind, while endangering Imperial relations, would have very much the same effect as the use of tariffs, without being as flexible. At the last Imperial Conference the representatives of the dominions were united in advocating the use of tariffs to afford the dominions preference on the Home market, and Mr Baldwin went to the electors with proposals inspired by the opinions of the Conference. He suffered defeat, and, accepting the verdict of the voters, he dropped the Imperial Preference tariff project. That was the first occasion on which a British Prime Minister approached the British electors with a policy inspired by the representations of the dominions, and it met an emphatic repudiation. Since then Britain has felt the effect of foreign competition in her own markets more severely, and there is a general feeling that the Old Country will look with more favour on a scheme which aims at strengthening the economic, unity of the Empire, especially through, the expansion of primary production, associated with the development of Imperial immigration. At the present time New Zealand is being visited by the representative of the small fruit growers in Australia, who are trying to increase their export business in the face of foreign competition. They argue that if Britain afforded protection to their products they would quickly expend their production to supply the larger demand and would give the British consumer a better article than he now buys from foreign growers. Their case is on all fours with that of the other promary producers, and if the tariff were employed the result would be heavier purchases of British goods by the dominions, who now accord British manufacturers preference, even when they protect their own industries. In spite of the MacDonald Government’s declarations, the Imperial Conference is sure to press its arguments for Imperial Preference by tariff, and the fact that public opinion in the Old Country is less positively Free Trade will enhance the chances of something practical emerging from the discussions.