Second Edition PREFERENCE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume LV, Issue 89, 13 June 1925, Page 6

Second Edition PREFERENCE.

VIEWS IN THE COMMONS. LABOR CREATES SURPRISE. AMENDMENT DEFEATED. I 'Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. ' (Received 12.10 p.m.) London, June 12. Mr Guinness said the Dominions f gave preferences during their development period, and now they had become a powerful factor in the world's trade. They should do everything possible within the free trade system to give corresponding benefits. The Dominions did not lack foreign suitors. Commercially, wte had a free gift from the Dominions far more valuable in proportion per head of populati/n than we were offering in return.

Mr Harney expressed .the opinion that preference was economically futile and politically unwise. He declared that unless we gave Australia, New Zealand and Canada advantages on their primary products, wool, meat and wheat, preference would be useless, and this would lead to the substitution of an irritating system of bargaining for a system; based on affection. A division of opinion was revealed in "the ranks of the Laborites, several of whom warmly supported preference, notably Mr Kirkwood on beltalf of Clydesiders. He wanted to go further and sell the Dominions' produce in Britain at cost price, but they in nowise favored free trade sweating. They infinitely preferred , fruit from Australia and Zealand, where it was produced at fair wages .and under hygenie conditions to the Near East, where the conditions were appalling. Together they were all for cementing the Empire, which was the best way of accomplishing universal peace. Mr Churchill, replying, welcomed the extraordinary manifestation from the Labor benches, which he knew was the outcome of serious private discussion.' It was a sign that the development of Imperial trade, apart from taxation on food, was passing from the realm of party; uolitics. He added that the whole preference would not reach the consumer, notably sugaV, which, however, w'ould stimulate Empire production, but the smoker would reap the benefit of the tobacco reduction immediately. The amendment was defeated by 277 votes to 93.