YEARS TO COME.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16523, 6 September 1921, Page 2

YEARS TO COME.

THE EMPIRE'S PROSPERITY HEED FOR IMPERIAL PREFERENCE, (“From the London <; Daily Telegraph.”) | The Right Hon W. F. Massey, Prime Minister of New .Zealand, was the honoured guest at a luncheon given on July 15 by the British Empire Producers’ Organisation. Lord Sydenham of Combe, president of the organisation, occupied the chair, and there was a. large attendance of members and others interested in the movement. Lord Sydenham, in proposing *' Our Guest,” said New Zealand had now become an Empire States, because it had become responsible for the administration cf the Samoan group, until recently German islands. That would raise the old question whether a democracy can govern an empire, a.problem which* had never been really solved. If he might give New Zealanders a. word of advice it would be that they should make their administration as sympathetic as possible with the native races and interfere with them as little as possible, and that they should select for the work men who had a special genius 1 for the development of natural resources. (Hear, hear-) A paternal government was the best to make native laces contented, happy and progressive. Western democratic institutions could not bo maintained among Eastern races except by Western force. If that were taken away all that was achieved would crumble into nothingness. Mr Massey, who was heartily cheered on rising to respond, said that if one country closed its doors upon tbo products of another country, and another country adhered to a. policy of what was called “ Freetrade,” and allowed goods cf the first country to enter free of duty, it must be placed at a very serious disadvantage. (Hear, hear.) Such an arrangement was neither wise nor just, and was too one-sided to be allowed to last. In the event of war, also, the country' that was able io produce its own requirements in foodstuffs and raw materials must have a tremendous advantage. This was apparent during the late war. But, leaving that aspect of the question, a. well-thought-out policy of Empire Prefer- ! enee would encourage production with- j iu the Empire, would bring waste places 1 into cultivation, provide remunerative . employment, and assist in keeping our citizens under their own flag. ('Hear, hear.) If a system of Imperial Preference could bo made general, the people would soon be surprised at the prosi P erit y would bring with it. Recenth j a country with which Britain does a I large trade had increased its Customs j duties upon everything which it could produce itself. It bad. of course, a j perfect right to do this—no one has j any right to object to anv countrv liaving the same rights to buy and tell I TTr^ 1 lie Woulci surprised if eomej tiling were not done to protect the interests of those, who had been affected ! by that Customs increase. (Hear, hear.) Ho was not suggesting that the countries of the Empire should not ! trade with outside countries. That v a,-, not Ins point. M hat he did suggest was that they should give preference one to the other within the Kmpire. (Cheers.) That was quite a different thing; and. as everv eoitntrv protected its citizens in its own way, no State bad any reason to object to an arrangement such as had been accepted in principle by the British Government, though a great deal more required to be done before British people would receive the full benefit of iho operation of the principle. RECOVERY of trade SUPREMACY. It was more than ever necessary, after what had taken place,* that the billy nee of trade should bo on the side oi the British people. Before the war Britain was a creditor country. British people loaned to other countries and borrowed from none. But the position had been reversed. Britain was now* a debtor country, owing a considerable sum of money to the United States; and it was urgently necessary that she should again sell more than she bought. (Hear, hear.) He was very glad to see that affairs were again settling down in Britain, and that the British manufacturers would once more be able to compete, he hoped successfully, in the markets of the world. Germany wavS steadily getting back to work again. America and Japan, both industrial countries, were exerting themselves, and Britain must not be left behind. Ho would like to suggest to the Produtiers’ Organisation a slogan such as this: British goods for British citizens, and British citizens for British goods.” (Cheers.) During last season the British wool growers experienced a very serious loss. Ihe drop in prices in New Zealand was 00 pc* cent as compared with the previous year. There was, however, one grain of comfort. He had obtained the sheep statistics for the years 1910 and 1920 for eight of the most important wool-producing ’ countries of the world—United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Argentine, United States of America, Spain and Uruguay—Russia and European countries engaged in the war wero for obvious reasons omitted. These figures were difficult to obtain, but they were worth the trouble. The total number of sheep in the countries mentioned in 1910 was 351,882,677, and in 1920 was •289,944.035 —a decline in 1920 of I 65.000,000, or nearly 20 per cent. This seemed to be a matter of great importance, because it pointed to the fact that the supply of w 00l would soon be unequal to the demand, and when that came to pass prices must go *ip. ihe same conclusions applied to mutton. With a world’s diminution in sheep to meet the increasing demands prices must increase. The settlement of the belligerent countries of Europe where the flocks had been denuded would, of course, have its effect in rapidly increasing the demand. He was not contemplating profiteeriug or any nonsense of that kind, but the producers would bo better paid for their work and the community would have easier times financially than what it had recently experienced- (Hear, 1 hear.) There were many commodities of large consumption in the United Kingdom besides meat and wool which the Empire could glow for itself. Take suga r. they could grow for themselves 'JI the sugar they required, and they could do the earn© with cotton, of which only a very small proportion was produced within the Empire. (Hoar, hear.) He hoped something would he done to rectify the position •yith regard to these essential products. I ana da and Newfoundland, if their forests were properly developed, could 'apply a vastly greater quantity of timber, and that should be utilised instead of supplies from other countries.

AND THE , Tho whole future and safety of the Empire, its very existence, depended upon sea-power. (Hear. hear). Seapower had saved the Empire over and over again. In tho Imperial Conference recently they had been dealing, amoDg other things, with the improvement of Empire communications. They dealt with tho establishment of a chain of wireless stations round the Empire, and that meant round the world. (Cheers). That wort: was going to be done. There wero many other things which he would like to see done which financial reasons would not permit; but improvement in communications must and would bo carried out by land, by sea, and in the air, and there were big possibilities where tho air was concerned. (Hear, hear). But, when all was said and. done, the Empire would depend for its existence on the Imperial Navy. There would probably bo held a A ery important conference before long on the other side of the Atlantic to discuss the question of the reduction of armaments. He hoped that conference would be successful. (There was no reservation in his mind when lio said that, but he wanted that gathering of intelligent men to understand that bo hoped any decision the Armaments Conference might arrive at would bring peace Avith honour to this country, that it would be a peace conj sistent with (ho safety and dignity of j the British Empire. (Hear, hear). Tho British Nary must be second to none in tho world; that was the first consideration. (Hear, hear).. Events in the Pacific had brought that home i very clearly. There was no trouble in ! sight at present ; there was n 6 chalI long© to the British Navy anywhere in i the world. But no one could foretell j what might happen in the future. But. 1 whatever happened, the people of New Zealand Avould he ready to bear their share of tho burden necessary to meet it. (Cheers). Only the other day the ex-soldiers of New Zealand decided to invest the £BO,OOO profits from their canteens to help to maintain the British Navy in the Pacific. (Cheers). It was only a small thing, but it showed j die spirit of tho people of New Zeaj land, and it represented a- very'- impor* j tant principle. (Rear, hear). The j NaA-y League of New Zealand had ! passed unanimous resolutions that the j supremacy of the Imperial Navy must I be maintained, and declaring that the • Dominion would ho ready and willing i to pay its lair i-hare of the* cost of maintenance 'Cheers'). “ I shall,*' ; continued. Air Massey, “ do my best as j Prime Minister to give effect to that recommendation.” (Loud cheers). ; Mr Ben IT. Morgan, chairman of the I British Empire Producers’ Organisj ation, prooo* ©■' ■)••• ,v j man. to which Lord S\dcuhorn briefly \ responded.