EMPIRE PROBLEMS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19505, 5 February 1926, Page 7

EMPIRE PROBLEMS

DEVELOPMENT OF TRADE IMPORTANT LONDON GATHERING 1 RECOGNITION OF COLONIAL SECRETARY'S WORK. MR AMERY'S ASPIRATION. By Telegraph—Per Press Assn.—Copyright. LONDON, Feb. 3. Representatives of Empire.-wide trade, commerce, finance, and administration, including the High Commissioners and Agents-General. celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Empire Producers’ Organisation by a luncheon at the Mansion House, and presented the Right Hon. L. C. Amery (Colonial Secretary) with his portrait in oils. Lord Kylsant. who presided, emphasised the fact that subscribers throughout the Empire desired to honour Air Amery’s lifelong devotion to the ideal of Empire development. Mr Amery, in reply, declared that the Empire to-day was the greatest agency for good that the world had yet known, and upon the Empire’s unity, security and development depended not only the happiness and welfare of its own peoples, but mankind’s peaceful progress. The fullest mutual development, however, was only obtainable by whole-hearted economic co-operation throughout the Empire directed toward raising the standard of living, otherwise the Empire was doomed to disaster. The goodwill existing everywhere must be translated into effective action, destroying the remnants of lingering suspicion that prosperity depended upon the maintenance of a starvation basis for the workers. Progress towards a nobler conception of Imperial co-operation had been considerable, and included preferences on sugar, wine, tobacco and silk, the McKenna duties, and the safeguarding of industries. Greater results would follow better publicity and marketing research, wherein the Empire producers’ organisation rendered immense .service and had assisted Imperial consolidation. Britain’s future depended also upon the education of the business world and the British public within the next three years in the full meaning of an Imperial economic policy with a 'view to its whole-hearted adoption. [Then the Empire’s problems would be (speedily solved. Mr Benjamin A. Morgan said that at present it was essential to carry preferences over a period of years instead of introducing them annually, ■thereby discouraging continuity of cf- ! fort. The War Office was a great offender against preference, securing a large proportion of its supplies from 'foreign sources. On the contrary, the Admiralty consistently gave preference to the Dominions.