“EMPIRE MUCH DISTURBED”

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1929, Page 13

“EMPIRE MUCH DISTURBED”

WARNING SY BRITISH PRESS. KEEN CONTROVERSY AROUSED. By. Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received July 12, 9.45 p.m. London, July 12. The Rt. Hon. Philip Snowden’s threat Jo drop preferences has aroused a keen controversy. Newspapers are publishing lengthy cables from the Dominions stressing that loss of trade will inevitably ensue apart from the larger issue of linking up the Empire; "It is now evident Mr. Snowden’s announced intention has seriously disturbed the public mind in each of the Dominions,” says the Daily Telegraph. "Even a slight knowledge of the public’s feelings in the Empire overseas would have warned Mr. Snowden that preference was regarded not solely as a matter of business. It is regarded a-s a manifestation of sympathy and desire for more intimate inter-imperia] relationships.” The Telegraph refers to Mr. Snowden’s tentative proposal for a special Imperial economic conference to see what can be done to extend inter-Ira-pcrial trade. The paper dwells also on. the idea favoured here and in the Dominions of a conference of experts to work out a concerted policy of Empire trade which may subsequently be sub-mitted-to an Imperial conference such as Mr. Snowden suggests. The paper believes the time is ripefor the adoption of both these proposals and stresses that therefore it is most vital that prospects should not be prejudiced either by premature or ill-con-sidered declarations of Government intentions on the one hand or the brandishing of unauthorised fiscal programmes by individuals of the opposite party on the other hand. The. Government was most anxious to promote the closet trade relations with the Dominions and every part of the Empire, said Mr. Snowden on. Tuesday, hut it did not believe these relations could be placed on the best footing of mutual advantage by a system of preferential tariffs. The late Mr. Joseph Chamberlain had stated there could not .be Imperial preference -without a tax on food and raw material, and to that policy the Government would never subscribe. Mr. Snowden hoped that when he * left office he would have swept away ill food duties, including those on sugar ind dried fruits, and the preferences An those articles would naturally go too. ■ . .. ..