The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 1924. "THREE BLOWS AT UNITY."

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 24 June 1924, Page 6

The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 1924. "THREE BLOWS AT UNITY."

Since the defeat of the preference resolutions m the British Jtlouse of Commons, there has been an ominous silence'in political circles at Home, broken this morning l by the significant announcement that ‘‘Til© Times’"’ is convinced that public sentiment is slowly but surely revolting against the Empire-smashing policy of the first Socialist Cabinet to hold the reins at Whitehall. “The Times” reminds the people of Britain that Mr Macdonald’s Administration lias struck three smashing blows at Empire unity. Inspired by the Socialists, Mr Macdonald and his comrades among the ‘ ‘Little- Englanders” in the Liberal camp, abandoned the proposal to provide a naval base at Singapore for the defence of the British communities in the Pacific, and left them to their own devices. Lulled to sleep by foreign trade influences, the Macdonald Government cancelled the McKenna duties. These duties were imposed by Mi McKenna in September, 1915, to prevent the dumping of foreign motor cars, kinematograph films, pianos, other musical instruments and watches and clocks, as well as to aid the rates of exchange'. The duties lapsed on May 1, and were not renewed. One manu lecturers’ association made this appeal to the Chancellor of the Exchequer:

We would again remind you that under these duties there are four times the number of employees in the industry compared with 1914. The prices of cars since the duty have steadily gone down, and to-daj-in many cases are less than in 1914. This has been accomplished in the face of higher wages, taxation, and expenses, only by increased output, and many firms to-day are trying to rebuild their export trade. If the duty is removed production will be reduced, the price of the British cai must go -up, and‘export trade will bo killed, causing unemployment and reduced wages. The workers of the company also sent a resolution to the Chancellor urging the continuance of the duty.

Thousands of men are threatened with unemployment, but Mr Snowden resists- all appeals, and it is being charged against him

that lie cancelled til© McKenna duties and repealed tlxe Safeguarding- of Industries Act to please ins German friends just as lie abandoned the Separation Duty of 21 per cent., and opened the British market to the German dumper. The refusal of Labour Government to honour the pledges given by its predecessors at the Imperial and Economio Conferences was by no means unexpected. Labour has no constructive Empire policy. But facts must he faced by all who desire the Empire to endure. As the “Observer” says, the trade of the Empire is itself at stake. Tho strength of this was touched by Mr Lloyd George the other day, with his declaration that the overseas self-governing populations, Low about fifteen millions, will surely and almost presently, quite presently in comparison with the ages of history, be ten times as large. This is pointing out to the Commons that the British centre of interest is British, not Foreign. It is an appeal against the Continental trade, which is ready to advance by leaps and bounds, growing constantly bigger. Influential English journals agree that the Empire and its friends are not to be made the sport of party polities; and one- calls upon the Parliamentary Labour Party to seize the opportunity, now before it, of making a new departure by risingsuperior to the party system and discarding party shibboleths. Leading press comment agrees that public opinion is rising against the conventional party opinions, and many journals are making- a. strong efl'ort. to help the new view. Labour may boast of its recognition of the leading- part tho British Empire is destined to play in the van of civilisation, but mere lip services avails nothing. Acts speak louder than words, and the Labour Party’s Empire-wrecking- policy is unquestionably expressed in the staggering- blows Mr Macdonald and Iris supporters have struck at Empire unity, namely, the abandonment of the Singapore base, the cancellation of tho McKenna, duties, and the refusal to accept Imperial preference as a. piaelieable scheme for the promotion of Empire trade.