BRITAIN AND COLONIES

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19639, 27 July 1935, Page 7

BRITAIN AND COLONIES

TRADE IMPROVEMENT. STATEMENT IN PARLIAMENT. EXPANSION QF MARKETS. (Official Wireless.) RUGBY, July'27). The Colonial Secretary, Mr .Malcolm MacDonald, submitted the Colonial Office vote in the House of Commons to-day. He spoke of the colonies’ financial condition and the improvement in their trade and discussed the effects of the regulation schemes for tin, tea and rubber. The Minister said he was able to report further progress in the securing of balanced Budgets. Kenya, Malta, and the Federated Malay Stales, after having deficits in 1933, balanced their Budgets last year. A comparison between 1934 and 1933 in a number of representative colonies showed, on the whole, an improvement in their trade figures. Efforts had been made to expand the markets for colonial products in Em-

pire countries by a, wide extension o*. ■the system of Imperial preference. In regard to a great many commodities Britain bad so arranged her purchases that almost the whole of her supplies came from the'' colonial Empire. The exports from Ceylon and Malaya had shown a great Increase in value. The- better prices were due to the -schemes for regulating the production of tea, rubber and tin. " A Soheme Defended. Mr MacDonald defended the inter- ' national tin restriction scheme from criticisms arising out of ,the recent market scare, on the grounds • that over a period of a ggeat many months ~lt had smoothed violent price fluctua- | tions. | Success, too, had attended the tea and rubber regulation schemes, which had restored prices to an economic level for the producers: | The economic depression made it ! inevitable that educational developi ment was at a standstill, but more money was being spent on medical , research and, when trade and revenue expanded, more money could be spent oh improved health, educational, so- ■ cial and political services. I The primary object sought by the Government in the development of the territories and their resources, the • Minister said, whs the benefit of the people themselves, both white setj tiers and natives.