NEW PLANS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20425, 2 October 1934, Page 11

NEW PLANS.

Britain’s Scheme for Aiding Farmers. ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT. (Special to the “ Star.”-) AUCKLAND, October 1. In the course of an address to Rotarians to-day Sir lan F'raser said that Great Britain was planning for her economic life in a manner not hitherto attempted. They had made up their minds to grow substantially more of their own food, strategic considerations, as well as the health of the body politic, insisting that their own agriculture be given a fair chance. One thousand million pounds of capital was invested in- British agriculture, which had an annual production of between two and three hundred millions a year and employed one million persons. This was the greatest of Britain’s industries—greater than the whole of the coal mining and quarries put together and more valuable than the whole of her foreign investments in Europe and the Argentine. Agriculture must be and would be preserved. The State as Organiser. More planning was being undertaken in Great .Britain than ever before, so that, while leaving private enterprise unfettered as far as possible in accord with British traditions, the State was organising the social and industrial affairs of the country. In his view the type of board now regulating broadcasting, traffic, electricity and tariffs would be maintained whatever Government was in power. Nevertheless, unless some scientific revolution took place they could not feed themselves and must look outside their own island for essential food and raw materials. They wanted to look to the dominious and were ready to make arrangements whereby the utmost possible preference would be given dominion producers. Use of the Tariff Weapon. Some New Zealanders and Australians he *had met had asked “Why can you not increase your tariffs against foreign foodstuffs and so virtually prevent their entry into Great Britain? You have the tariff weapon. Why not use it?" The reply was that they had- been Free Trade for eighty years and it was in their bones. A tremendous revolution in thought and action had taken place J only two and a half years ago when the tariff was introduced. If it had been used carelessly or without due consideration they might have had a tremendous reaction which would have threatened the tariff itself. As it was, he was sure that the next election in Britain, whatever the result, would not be fought on the issue of Free Trade versus the tariff. If, as foreshadowed. the>* could keep the tariff out of politics, then they had secured one essential from their side for the building up of further and increased preferences.