TRADE WITHIN THE EMPIRE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 21 January 1927, Page 9

TRADE WITHIN THE EMPIRE.

Mr Coates Favours

Preference.

GUARDED REFERENCE TO DEFENCE.

By Cable —Press Association —Copyright Australiun and N.Z. Cablo Association, (Received January 20, 8.45 p.m.) VANCOUVER, January 19.

Air Coates, in an interview a* Winnipeg, maintained that Net? Zealand should be given preference by Canada over countries other than British, in the matter of trade, where* her products were recognised of equal or superior quality. He advocated tho adjustment of the trade balance between the two sister dominions. In the matter of naval defence, Mr Coates reiterated that what the individual dominions choose to do was entirely for their self-governing peoples to decide. “We in New Zealand are going to increase gradually our outlay on naval defence. At present, it is costing us Ss to 9s per head. The development of a new country costs a groat deal of money, and precludes the expenditure of immense sums on defence.”

“We are proud to be associated with the British Empire and all that ill means, but we also recognise some of the difficulties it is possible that other portions of the Empire may have, and that it is for us to help them out where we can,” declared Air Coates, in a speech at the Canadian Club, Winnipeg, The New Zealand Prime Alinister considered that what really mattered at the Imperial Conference was its spirit. Personally he thought that tho conclusions reached did not conflict with the resolutions of previous conferences. What had been written down would go in the direction of making the Empire better known and better understood, ,and cur people more of one mind than ever before.

Air Coates spent a lively day at \v in in peg sightseeing, especially inspecting the Canadian National ‘Railway’s model workshop. He displayed very great interest in the large apprentice class, composed of well-educated young men. starting their mechanical careers.

Air Coates was so convinced of the value of this educational phase of railway shop practice, that he expects to adopt a similar scheme upon return to New Zealand.