The Daily News TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1929. FISCAL COMPLICATIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1929, Page 8

The Daily News TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1929. FISCAL COMPLICATIONS.

The fuU extent of the immensity uf the upheaval caused by the Great War is only now being realised internationally. It was forecasted at the close of that terrible strain that it would be followed by a more pfolonged economic struggle among the nations, and that forecast has materialised. Unfortunately, Britain has experienced, and is still being subjected to the full blast of the economic tornado. That she stands four square to the onslaught and quickly repairs any breach made in her defences js an eloquent tribute to her admitted strength and marvellous powers of financial recuperation. There are, however, visible and increasing sears to be all too plainly - discerned on the body politic and on the body economic. Among these war legacies are discontent and unemployment, especially among the coalminers. One of the best friends and' helpers these minersMiave met with is Lady Houston, and she has just summarised in parable form the lessons derived from letters received in response to her New Year’s message. The moral of that parable should be taken to heart by every worker* in the Empire, whether he be unionist or not. ‘-You’ve ruined masters, mines and miners,” said Lady Houston, “but that is not enough. You must be more miserable before you are truly happy; therefore, you must vote for Socialists at the coming election.” The main point of her message was, however, to impress the miners with the fact that they are now suffering from their 1926 strike, and to advise them to think for themselves and send their unionist tradition to the place whither all evil people go. Above all, she urged' the to vote for tariff reform, “the only remedy for unemployment.” The influences of fiscal complications are far-reaching. Take, for instance, the prolonged discussion in the United States over the Navy Appropriation Bill and the Cruiser Bill. What is the main principle involved therein? The answer may be found in a speech made at the launching of the new cruiser, Salt Lake City, by Mr. C. D. Wilbur, Secretary for the Navy, who said: “I speak for the man in uniform, who has taken the oath to defend the nation and sustain all its sacred rights. We must give him utensils and implements to carry out his sworn duty to protect our own protector.’'’ Taken in conjunction with that avowal should be a statement by Senator Smoot, who professed inability to understand the attitude of the pacifist group in shouting peace, for he could not see how America was to have peace unless her industry, trade and shipping “receive the full measure of protection they deserve.” The difference between the protection required by America and that needed by Britain is that America has only her exports to consider, while Britain is vitally concerned as to both exports and imports. It is her dependence on the latter that forms the chief factor in her free trade policy, while America has been hitherto able to erect a formidable tariff barrier against imports. The latest development of that barrier policy is a move to shut out New Zealand lamb by nearly doubling the present duty, the reason for that step, advanced by the representative of the National Woolgrowers’ Association of the United States, being that “New Zealand had made a successful test shipment and had a committee planning the exploitation of the American market.” The Dominions have no justification for resenting the action of America in penalising imports, but if that country persists in its present policy, it stands to reason that it must expect similar treatment from the British Empire. Another phase of fiscal complexities is to be found in the problem of how to ensure a complete and practical system based upon the principle of a self-con-tained Empire—one of the most

difficult undertakings that can be conceived. In time the ideal may be realised, and the more steps that are taken by way of exchanges of visits, views and aims, the sooner will true unity be achieved. Apparently the first task is to assist in the economic and industrial recovery of the Motherland by means of buying only British goods. If all the daughter nations adopted that principle they could cheerfully look on the tariff barriers of other countries outside the Empire, and they would find their prosperity increased as well as their strength.