EMPIRE PRODUCTS

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 91, 14 October 1932, Page 7

EMPIRE PRODUCTS

MARKETING PROBLEM

DISCUSSION AT OTTAWA

The future of the Empire Marketing Board and the possibility of co-ordin-ating the various/Imperial bodies which' have been set up from time to time were matters discussed at Ottawa, according tea statement made by th* Bight Hon.-J. G. Coates in the House of Eepresentatives last night. . . "The Empire Marketing Board in carrying out its work for promoting the sale of Empire products, has been-fin-lan.c,ed, wholly by the United Kingdom," jsaid Mr. Coates. "The justification for this has now disappeared with the granting of tariff preferences on Empire products imported into, the United Kingdomrhence the matter -arises, for review. After consulting the representative of our producers' boards and ascertaining that they would be willing to make grants to ensure the continuance of the Empire Marketing Board's work, I.gave an undertaking that assistance would be forthcoming. The representatives of the United Kingdom undertook that the., .present financial arrangements v would continue until September, 1933, with the understanding that the whole position should be-re-viewed in the meantime.

." A?t° co-ordinating th e activities of existing Imperial bodies in London. (toward some of which New Zealand makes monetary grants), it is pointed out that with eleven separate organisations all dealing with matters bf.mora or less' economic character, there is a certain amount of overlapping, and a good deal. is. to-be said in.favour of linking them to some responsible-cen-tral body^ On : the other hand, there wouia be a danger of interfering with the work of some of these if they were subordinated to: a' central body. No [finality was reached in discussion of this matter, but it was decided that a small committee in London representative of the Governments concerned should consider 'the means;of facilitating economic consultation and ■ co-oper-ation between the several Governments of the Commonwealth.'. In this inquiry New Zealand will, of course, participate,, but in. general I think it may be said that the present' position appears to us to call for no drastic change."