EMPIRE 3 TRADE.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1930, Page 10

EMPIRE 3 TRADE.

Few people will cavil at the statement of the Prime Minister, the Hon. G. W. Forbes, on the eve of his departure for the Imperial Conference that one of the most important questions for discussion at that gathering will bo that of trade within the Empire. In the United Kingdom a political party pledged to intra-Empire free trade with a tariff against foreign goods has lately been organised, though its programme seems to be somewhat nebulous. A recent by-election in Great Britain fought upon this platform ended in the defeat of the “Empire trader,'’ and it looks as though opinion in the Homeland will never be freed from the paralysing effect of party politics. The ideal seems most attractive, but to bring about a practical working arrangement is another matter. Nor is their any indication of an agreement between the various Dominions. The only point upon which thorough agreement exists is that every Dominion is determined to retain full liberty in its fiscal policy. The recent happenings in New Zealand and Canada are instances of this. * Canada has just placed in power a political. party pledged to cancel an arrangement whereby New Zealand products were admitted on special terms. The sequel to this has been an increase here in the duties charged upon Canadian manufactures, with a corresponding obstruction to the flow of trade from that country. The history of trade arrangements between the Dominion and Australia tells the same' story, and the existing duties upon wheat and flour in this country are an indication of the sacrifice of economics to political exigencies. It is possible that full and frank discussions by all parte of the Empire may result ‘in some stimulus to trade, but it must be confessed that the indications are not hopeful. Meanwhile there seems no reason why New Zealand should not increase and improve the trade arrangements with Great Britain. This should be possible without raising political bogies, for each country has commodities to supply that the other needs. That’ is the ideal condition for trading and should permit of expansion of commercial services to the advantage of both.