IMPERIAL PREFERENCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17030, 2 May 1923, Page 7

IMPERIAL PREFERENCE.

APPEAL EY COLONEL AMERY. By Telegraph—Press Association--Copyright Australian anu .\.Z. vauic Association. (Received May 2. JJ.I-3 a. 111.) LOi>iJoA, _YLuy 1. Lieutenant-Colonel u. to. .nuay, m an article in the • iMujjjre Review* on ” Aien ol tiie Empire ana settlement Development,-’ sa.is: •• ihe real indeed, tne obvious solution 01 the problem lies in i_ne \v iioie-Uearted .acceptance by each part oi tile Empire of the principle of imperial preference. Bv it, local and imperial interests can m every case be safeguarded and mutually harmonised.” Colonel Amery explains lhat by whole-hearted preference he means something more than the present tentative and partial preferences. An allround 50 per cent preference, which would give tlie Empire producer an advantage over the foreigner equal to the advantage enjoyed over him by the Home producer probably represented the best practical policy to aim at. Whatever taxation or legislation could give bias in favour of Empire trade or development over foreign trade, that bias should be given. Preference could be given by remitting stamp duties on transfers, while the serious barrier to finance mofvements by by exchange, fluctuations might be removed by the creation of a uniform currency system.