DEVELOPMENT OF EMPIRE

Hokitika Guardian, 23 December 1922, Page 1

DEVELOPMENT OF EMPIRE

SCHOOLMASTER’S OPINION. AU OK HAND, December 20. “I do not wish to decry football, but it certainly seems to carry too much weight to-day,” said Mr J. W. Tibbs last evening in liis annual review of the work of the Auckland Grammar School, and he said that his attention war called lately by an enthusiast for the game to the fact that a large proportion of the Oxford University XV. of to-day were from the Dominions, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and the most of them were Rhodes scholars. The points of athletic excellence of candidates for the New Zealand Rhodes scholarship as reported in the daily papers seemed generally to overshadow all other qualifications, and recently the doings of a successful candidate occupied half a column, the greater part of which was a. glorification of his prowess in the football field.

Mr Tibbs continued: “Mr Rhodes, ns T understand, founded his scholarships not "to strengthen the three-quartar line of the Oxford University XV but to give picked young men from the overseas Dominions an opportunity of attending the greatest school of the Imperial administration with n view to bringing the outlying possessions of the Crown into the closest possible touch with the heart of the Empire. Athletics may be made a strong bond of union with ns, as the Olympic Games were in ancient Greece, provided that the spirit of professionalism is kept out, as it certainly was among the Greeks, but a mere sports representative of a Dominion is not likely to develop into a leader of Imperial thought even after Oxford, where athletics are a snare not less than elsewhere and the election of such candidates to a Rhodes Scholarship was not co»*femplated by the founder. T claim tlie riglit ■ to speak on this matter, for I was a member of the Committee summoned by Hr Seddon which formulated the first regulations for the award of the Rhodes Scholarship. These were gradually altered, not. as I think wisely, and I am of the opinion that the time has conic when tliev should be reviewed ”

“CHIEF APOSTLE” SPEAKS. TASKS OF THE FUTURE. LONDON, December 20. Mr L. C. Amery, First Lord of the Admiralty, in addressing tie British Empire Union on trade within the Empire, said: “If Britain's horizon wer limited to our own island, and to Europe, one would have cause to doubt the future. We need, however, . to return to our forefathers’ wisdom.” Air Amery recalled the fact that it was the trade built up in consequence of the founding of the American colonies that bellied England to withstand Napoleon for twenty years. Similarly, now the most hopeful outlook consisted in the development of the dominions. Mr J. R. Clynes recently in advocating the remission of the German reparations, and the recognition of the soviet as a remedy for the present trade stagnation, had suggested that trade with the Dominions was not worth consideration because they contained only 15.000.000 people, compared with 300,000.000 in Europe. The important consideration was not the number of people, but the quantity of goods bought. In 1913 the Dominions had bought goods to the extent of £5 per head bought by the rest of Europe. Our net exports to Europe in 1913 totalled £32.000,000 to the rest of the world £98,000.000 and within the British Empire £104,000.000. He could not open up all the subjects which would lie discussed at the forthcoming Imperial Economic Conference, hut he wanted to emphasise the need for Imperial prcferenc, using the phrase in its widest sense. They hjid ho said passed the stage when the phrase formed the basis of a keen political issue. A ATinistry representing all parries had agreed in 1917 to extend the ferenep. to a limited extent, in Britain’s present Customs schedule. Tito preference within those narrow limits had already had amazing results in the supply of Empire-grown cocoa, coffee, dried fruits, jam and sugar. ATr Bonar Law had undertaken, that the fiscal policy would not be fundamen-

tally changed without a further appeal to the people. But there were many forms of preference still open to the lEconomic Conference’s consider.i tiou For instance, there was preference in communication, postal rates, cai’e chargse, and air services, which would offer a valuable assistance to the development of trade with the dor) nioni, which were our best customers. Pei sonally, he would like to see some soi’t of preference in stamp or other duties, making it cheaper to invest in the Empire than in foreign securities. Tn the passage of the Empire Settlement Act they had not faced the problem from the viewpoint of solv .ig the immediate unemployment problem, but the building up of the future strength of the Empire. He believed there was. nothing promising better for the wt.ilbeing of the British people, here and overseas, than the operation and ex-, tension of that Act. Sir Montagu Barlow, Minister of Labour, in proposing a vote of thanks to ATr Amery, described him as the ' “Chief Apostle of Empire Development.” He said that many people had Imped in view of this fact, that he would havo been called to another high office in the Cabinet instead' of tlie Admiralty. j DOATTNTON TRADE. | SIGNIFICANT FIGURES. I LONDON, December 20. | The Colonial Institute tendered a luncheon to Sir AYilliam Jovnson Hielcs, ' Parliamentary Secretary for Overseas j Trade. Sir Godfrey Lagden, chairman of the Council, toasting the guest, said the Department of Overseas Trade had been conspired against by econojmy committees, and finally j crushed altogether by the Geddes axe. From that condition it had been rescued by vigorous protests from chambers of commerce in Britain and overseas. The cultivation of overseas trade had always been neglected by Britain But they might rejoice to-day that 1 statesmen recognised that Britain had a most precious asset in its Empire ' ■ trade, and that the Dominions were ’ rendv to give her a preference.

Bir William Jovnson-Hicks said the Department had no high place in the hierarchy of government. But it was the one Department which might enable the country to recover from unemployment and had trade. The only possible means of removing unemployment was the fostering of between Britain and the dominions. Afost of the foreign nations either could not or would not trade. If Britain could recover £300.009,000 worth of export trade lost since 1913-14, she could absorb over 90 per cent of the unemployed. An examination of the figures relating to the dominions’ trade did not always reveal pleasing facts. New Zealand, one of the greatest importers ' 0 f British goods, thirty years ago imported sixty-seven per cent of British goods. The percentage had steadily declined until, in 1920. it was only fortysix per cent. Tn the first half of 1922 it had risen to fifty-two per cent. On the contrary the United States fifteen i years ago provided 35 per cent of New Zealand’s imports and to-day the percentage was 165 per cent. The year 1920 was a most fatal year to the dominions, because France and Italy became enormous customers of Britain, I who were unable to supply the dominions. Consequently the United States took advantage of her position Australia, thirty years ago, imported sixtv-oight per cent of British goods. Tn 1920 she only imported forty-six per cent. This year the percentage had recovered to fifty per cent. On the other hand, the American proportion had risen from six to twenty-two per cent in 1920. To-day it-, was eighteen per cent. Canada, notably, was n t taking the same proportion of British goods as the other Dominions, owing doubtless, to the more intensive competition by the United States. The Dominion was anxious and willing t" trade with Britain, which was allowing itself to he ousted. Canada was taking only thirteen dollars’ worth of British imports per head, compared with fiftynine dollars’ worth of American. Canada, and Australia were becoming great industry countries. Twenty years ago only 198,000 were emnloyed in the industries in Australia. To-day

there are 400,000 so employed. In Britain they must realise it wag no use asking the dominions to do wliat was opposed to their own interests. The greatest possibility ot' developing overseas trade lay in the Dominions lack of population. Britain must relieve herself of her surplus population. She must offer the dominions men, artd not refuse. It was no use asking the dominions to accept the scum. The Dominions would take the best men with enough money to establish themselves. It would be tetter for Britain, if, instead of paying £IOO- - in unemployment doles she devoted £-50,000,000 in placing men in a position to become desirable citizens of the dominions. Everyone so placed 'would be a potential consumer of British exports. Britain would thus create her own markets. The dominions had shown a desire for closer trade relationships. He was convinced that if only the best of men were sent them, they would realise that true prosperity lay along the lines on which the United states had built up its great wealth. He hoped that the coming Economic .Conference would produce good results. The dominions would enter it with the knowledge that they could negotiate on equal terms.