Page 6 Advertisements Column 4

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1924, Page 6

The announcement by the British Premier (Mr. Stanley Baldwin) that his Government proposed .to allocate a million sterling a year for the purpose of developing schemes for marketing Dominion produce, comes as a pleasant surprise that should be appreciated by the producers of New Zealand. This allocation does not, apparently, in any way affect the confirmation by Imperial Parliament of the preference resolutions passed by the Economic. Conference before the Labour Government materialised, so that the scheme which Mr. Baldwin outlined takes the shape of a real endeavour to be of service in a practical way to both the Mother Country and her overseas Dominions. A s a matter of fact, what are known as the preference resolutions conferred little, if any, appreciable benefit upon New Zealand’s export trade, therefore it is pleasing to note that the constitution of an Imperial Economic Committee, whereon the Dominions will be invited to nominate representatives, opens up an entirely new avenue whereby improved methods of preparing for marketing and marketing, within the United Kingdom, food products from overseas parts of -the Empire may be put in operation, with a view to increasing the consumption of Dominion products in the Homeland, in preference to imports from foreign countries, theyeby promoting the interests of both consumers and producers. Mr. Baldwin’s pledge that his Government would not attempt to deal with the existing tariff in anyway that would cause foodstuffs to become dearer, except the Government received a mandate from the electors so to do, still holds good, but the granting of a subvention leally serves the object in view much better than even a very modest preference that would create friction. According to Mr. Winston Churchill this proposed expenditure of a i million annually upon Empire objects, instead of food duties, will not be dissimilar from the lines of the proposals agreed to by the Imperial Conference of 1907 for improved communications, as well as in marketing and popularising Empire ’ products. Such a scheme as is now proposed might well be supported and its scope extended by grants from each of the Dominions, for it is doubtful whether a million a year will suffice to attain the full benefit which such method is intended to secure. Moreover,’ from an equitable point of view, it would seem fitting that the whole of the cost should not fall upon the Mother Country, but that as the Dominions will obtain the major part of the benefit they should to some extent share in the expense. That, however, is a matter that the proposed committee can deal with. Needless to say that the success of the proposals will largely depend upon the personnel of the committee, which it is desirable should consist of business men in the front rank of Empire traders on both sides of the intervening highways of the oceans. The scheme has the outstanding merit of not touching meat and fruit by taxes,, the hope being to devise means for altering, to some extent, the course of trade for the benefit of the Empire, as well as for the benefit of the people of the Old Land, great care being taken not to do an injustice to the agricultural producers there. It may be noted that the proposals are not intended to be a mere inquiry as to how present conditions can be improved, for the proposed subvention is not a mere temporary expedient for overcoming unemployment or meeting an urgent crisis. The grant is to be an annual one made with the object of building up an improved system of preparing the exports of the Dominions for market and marketing them at Home so as to increase consumption, thereby adding to the prosperity of the Dominions, the desire of the British Government being to encourage Empire products at the expense of foreigners, not at the expense of domestic producers. The more the scheme is studied, the greater becomes the conviction that the principle upon which it is based