EMPIRE AND INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 152, 24 December 1929, Page 8

EMPIRE AND INDUSTRY

TRADE RESOURCES

PJKOBLE3I OF DEVELOPMENT

(From,"The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 4th October.

"The Empire and Industry" ia the title of an article l)y Sir Kobert A. Hadfield, Bart., JT.K.S., in the October number of "The Empire Koview." Sir Kobert Hadfield (Chairman of the great Sheffield firm of that name), is one of the most distinguished of metallurgists, and the inventor of manganese steel and many other special alloys ana steels.

In his article he maintains that there is a clear and urgent need_ for something over and above our facilities at present existing for Imperial _ development. The problem, he Bays, is a business one, demanding, for its solution, close and continual co-operntion between men and women, who have first-hand knowledge of all the needs and opportunities for development in every part of the Empire. Hitherto, we seem to have drawn an unnecessary dividing line between Homo and Empire development, and we have not dealt with the latter either thoroughly enough or on a broad enough basis. "In order to bring about this particular and '• intensive development of Empire resources and trades," continues Sir Bobert Hadfield, "my proposal is that there should be formed an Empire Development Board, composed of duly elected representatives from all parts of the Empire. It is hardly necessary to add that this organisation should be a permanent one. Moreover, once formed, I feel confident that its use would be found invaluable and that it would be the keynote of Empire progress.

A DEVELOPMENT FUND.

''Whilst not possible, in one article, to work out the necessary details of the formation and constitution of the Council and Board, there should be no difficulty in accomplishing this to the mutual satisfaction of our Empire representatives. An Empire Development Fund would naturally follow, thus offering safe and sound sources of investment within the Empire and controlled by those representing British intorests.

"In this respect, I venture to submit that such representatives should be suitably rewarded according to the work accomplished. We rightly reward our great Generals and Admirals with honours, and often with large monetary sums, for success in war; why should we not similarly reward those who introduced and helped on these much-needed developments of our Empire? Apart from the work of tho permanent staff, those who devote their time to the work of the Board should be ensured specific honours as recognition of their work.

, "Tho encouragement and development of Empire productivity and trade should be, I submit, a whole-time .matter for representative experts elected from and representing all parts of the Empire. Considering that we, at home, .pay .■6246,000 to our Members of Parliament for membership alone, apart from the. fees appertaining to special offices, and that Australia, Canada, and New Zealand pay the members of their Legislatures on a moro generous scale, it seems incredible that there is no comparable organisation or expenditure for bringing about the development of the Empire as a whole—that is, in a proper coordinated manner.

PRIVATE ENTERPRISE,

"Apart from such obvious work as tho improvement of existing facilities for trado and transport, tho Board should devote special attention to tho work of expansion by assisting the opening up of new means of transport, railways, tramways, roads, harboura, docks, dams, canals, construction of hydro-electric power plants, the foundation of new industries, the opening out of new districts for farming, the control of forestry, and so on. Without in any way prejudicing the ultimate) control and operation of such schemes by private enterprise, an Empire Board, working with full knowledge of conditions throughout the Empire and possessed of suitable financial resources, could assist enormously in the rapid and efficient development of the gifts of Nature and tho opportunities of mankind in the various parts of the Empire. Appropriations would be set aside for the execution of development projects, formulated nnd approved by the Board, and, when a scheme of development had been completed, the undertaking would be handed over, along with the capital obligations, to the appropriate authority or company, which would subsequently control and operate it. The organisation would, 1 am sure, work smoothly in practice if all concerned acted together with a true desire to avoid or overcome difficulties."