EMPIRE DEVELOPMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 3 November 1926, Page 9

EMPIRE DEVELOPMENT

ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION THE KEY TO ALL PROBLEMS ORGANISATION ESSENTIAL By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, Nov. 1. The Empire Producers’ Association gave a lunch to the delegates to the Imperial Conference at the Goldsmiths Hall. The Duke of Sutherland pre sided. Mr. Mackenzie King, owing to a chill, was the only important absentee. The Duke of Sutherland, referring to the plenitude of hospitality, said he knew the delegates’ hearts were in the right place, but what about their livers ? He said everyone listened with the keenest interest to Mr. Bruce’s emphasis on the economic factor of Empire relationship. Mr. Coates was a worthy successor of Mr. Massey. He had been truly called the managing director of New Zealand. The Bolsheviks, in believing that the Empire was on the verge of dissolution, were wrong in this, as in every other tenet of their detestable creed. “Where the treasure is there shall the heart be also.” The Empire’s treasure was essentially in production and trade. The Duke concluded with an unperceived pun, saying that the necessity was realised for the development of aviation on a higher plane. Mr. L, C. M. S. Amery, proposing the toast of the guests, stressed the importance of inter-Imperial economic co-operation. A solution of that problem would be the master key to solve all others. The Empire needed effective schemes of publicity, marketing organisation and research. Mr. Amery personally believed in a policy of Imperial preference, aiming at freer trade within the Empire. So far we had not had courage to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them, but we should do so. Mr. J. G. Coates prophesied the possibility of development in inter-im-perial trade, and stressed the value of co-operative marketing. He pointed out that the temperament of New Zealand was opposed to minimum price-fix-ing. Messrs. Monroe, Bruce and the Maharajah of Burdwan, and Mr. Hoy also replied.