EMPIRE ECONOMIC COUNCIL

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20680, 19 March 1937, Page 9

EMPIRE ECONOMIC COUNCIL

LORD BLEDISLOE’S SUGGESTION “ONLY ROAD TO SECURITY FOR DOMINIONS” United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received March 18, 10.40 p.m.) LONDON, March 17. “I am greatly struck with the idea of an Empire Economic Council. It will be brought to the attention of Cabinet,” said Lord Templemore, in the House of Lords, in replying to a suggestion by Lord Bledisloe. Lord Bledisloe argued that the Council should not be composed of politiclans, but of representatives of industrial and agricultural production, who would see that the balance was maintained between Empire supplies to Britain and British supplies to the Empire. He was of the opinion that there was no secure future for either Australia or New Zealand, unless there was larger development of secondary industries. Prime Minister Cautious The Prime Minister in a reply in the House of Commons, to a question regarding the closer economic relationship within the Empire said: “It is proposed at the Imperial Conference that there should be a general review of the progress of Empire trade. The British Government was not putting down any specific proposals in the agenda, such as the House of Commons might desire to discuss. Whether any Dominion Government would do so, he did not know, but they had not done so yet.”