EMPIRE ORGANISATION.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 1060, 5 July 1917, Page 8

EMPIRE ORGANISATION.

PROBLEMS OF THE FUTURE IMPORTANT DEBATE. QUESTION OF PREFERENCE. 1 [From Our Own Parliamentary Reporter.] \\ WELLINGTON, July 4. j After formal business in the House i to-day, members entered into a dc'ibate on the statements of the Prime ..{Minister and Sir Joseph Ward respecting their Imperial mission. Mr T. M. Wilford (Hutt) said that the events related by the Ministers Imarked the beginning of a new era in the Empire's history. It was lime for the colonies to have a voice in Imperial foreign policy. The most immediate concern of New [Zealand was the future of the islands of the Pacific. In the future there might be a confederation of Urn islands of the Pacific or they might be grouped under Australasian control. The Empire must have a fiscal policy to meet the needs of every unit. Most important of all was the necessity for the stimulation and maintenance of maximum efficiency —commercially and industrially—all over ihc Empire. TARIFF CONCESSIONS. I In dealing with fiscal problems Mr A. S. Malcolm (Clutha) said he did not believe that the people of New Zealand would be ready to make I great tariff concessions to the United ■ Kingdom, or that they would wish to see the cost of living raised to the masses of the British people by the imposition of duties. Imperial selfsi.'iiieiency was a dream that could not be realised. No imports from foreign countries would mean no exports to foreign countries. No country could afford to cut itself off from trade with other lands. He I insisted that the rulers of the j British Empire must "think uni|versally," and not merely "Imperially." The British race held its |vast territories in trust for the world, and experience had proved beyond all doubt that it paid the race to recognise that fact. Mr Malcolm advocated Imperial federation with a central Parliament endowed with certain rights of administration and taxation. He saw no objection to a written constitution, or to the taxing of Dominions for Imperial purposes hy an Imperial body. PREFERENCE NECESSARY. Mr E. Newman (Rahgitikei) cxj pressed Ihe opinion that before the end of Imperial representation came ! New Zealand and Ihe rest of the DoI minions would be able to elect their ! representatives on the Imperial Cabi- ! net That might not take place in j the next few years, but eventually it would come about. The time had come when the representatives of the Dominion must reside on Ihe spot where great questions were decided. It was his opinion that if preference were not accorded by the j Old Country the whole system woidd Ibe a farce." He pleaded strongly that Germany should not have any chance of establishing naval bases in the Pacific in days to come. If the islands in the Pacific were not to be kept in British bands they ought to 'be, handed to the United Slates. ; (Hear, hear.) DANGER FN DELAY. i Mr L. M. Isitt (Christchurch North) said that the fusion represented by the Imperial Conference had been beaten out by the fire of Hun fury on the anvils of God. They all knew the end that was to be attained—Empire Federation—and, as the member for Clutha had said, there was danger in delay. There was a danger that this federation might be rendered impossible by the question of preferential tariff. A thoughtful man must recognise that preference must be given the Motherland. This was a very risky experiment. II might be a great success, but, op the other hand, it might wreck the whole Constitution of the Empire. We had no rigid to make preference the only condition on which we should cuter the Imperial| Federation. We owed everything to Great Britain, and we had no right to exact anything from her. If, in the long run, Britain said thai she was unable to give effect to this great experiment of preference, we would have no right to demand thai the Old Country should stand to it. He strongly advocated the establishment of Slate-controlled inter-Dominion cables as a means of keeping the Empire trade within Ihe Empire. EFFECT OF PREFERENCE. Mr Massey, in replying at the end lof Ihe debate, said that there seemed to be an impression thai preference woidd increase the cost of certain articles in countries where preference was in force. If Britain gave preference io Ihe Dominion ii did nol follow inevitably that Ihe price of our products would be raised to the people at Home. Mr Malcolm: What would be the use of ii otherwise? Mr Masscv: I don't agree with that view. One of the results of preference would be to increase production. We were told officially thai there were 13,000.000 acres of wheal 'and in Canada untouched at present. Let us suppose, that the Parliament of Britain said to the farmers of Canada, "We are going to give you a preference of 1/- a bushel on the wheat thai: vou produce." The effect of thai woidd be to encourage the amouni of wheal t grown for export ] to Britain. He went on Io argue thai j soon ihc supply would come up to the demand, and then an increase in price woidd he impossible. The Empire must do something Io fill up its emotv spaces. If the British people did' not fill the empty land-; then other nations would wish Io step in.