HOME AGAIN.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20097, 28 November 1930, Page 9

HOME AGAIN.

MR STANLEY BRUCE IN AUSTRALIA. ICEBN TO RE-ENTER POLITICS. (TBOU OUa OWW COHRBSrONDEXT.) SYDNEY, November 20. Looking very fit after his 12 months' tour abroad, Mr 8. M. Bruce, former Prime Minister of Australia, who lost his seat at the last General Election, is ready to enter the political fray again. In fact, judging by his remarks, he is keen to do so, and he does not think he will have to wait very long. Like most other people, he can see that the present Federal Cabinet cannot last long, as the differences over financial policy are too serious for patching to be effective. Mr Bruce has already offered his services to his okl electorate. In the meantime ho is devoting himself to the business of which he is the head. He has many problems to solve there before he attempts to solve national problems.

Mr Bruco says that Australia must regard it as fundamental that to bring about a return of prosperity she must look to both primary ■ and secondary industries. It was useless to think that it would be possible to look at one or the other alone. The primary industries had to provide sufficient exports to create the necessary credits overseas, while only the soconclary industries could provide the necessary avenues of employment to put the people back to work.

Imperial Conference. Discussing the Imperial Conference Mr Bruce said:—"That the British Chancellor (Mr Snowden) has agreed to the retention of the existing Dominion preferences for another three years is something to tho good, and it shows tho strength of public opinion in Britain, which has recently been aroused to view things from a more Imperial standpoint. Tho question of inter-Imperial trado in consequence, is beginning to have some influence on tho present British Government and particularly on Mr Snowden, who was a declared opponent of preference more than twelve months ago, and who announced that tho aim of the Government was to remove the concession on those products on which Australia enjoyed preference." Retention of Preferences. Mr Bruce mado it clear that to his mind the bare retention of existing preferences would not solve the problem of inter-Imperial trade. The primary industries of Australia would be kex>t going to a point by bounties, or by charging Australian people more than world parity. But that system had practically broken down, and if it were applied to such products as wool and flour its hopelessness would be demonstrated. Reduction in the cost of production was still the only method of saving tho industries of the Commonwealth. He had imagined that the people of Australia had begun to lose faith in the powerß of Governments and of political parties to solve economic problems. There woro encouraging signs, liowover, that Australians were boginning to realise tho needs of the times, said Mr Bruce. Tho ways in which Governments could assist to prosperity were limited, but they could help by keoping down expenditure to the lowest possible limits, and refrain from any schemes that would place a further burden on industry.