EMPIRE PREFERENCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 November 1923, Page 1

EMPIRE PREFERENCE.

M[{ BALDWIN’S ABGr.MK.NT. FOB PROTECTIVE POLICY. I U3TEA7.IAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. LONDON, Oct. til. .Spunking at Swanson, the Prime Minister. Mr S. Bnhlwin d eel arm] he was having detailed the application of the principles of the economic policy which ho announced at Plymouth carefully and thoroughly examined. Mr Baldwin, proceeding, strongly advocated a policy of tariff protection, on the ground that it was necessary for protecting: the standard of life of the country during the present, unstable conditions. World dreams of universal free trade could not he dreamed to-day. Foreign countries and tlieii own Dominions had not followed B:i------------t stilt. They had preferred to preserve their own markets and own their agri- : ! i i < ’ t t

culture n-, ;t background. Britain hiul believed in splendid isolation at hump, cte:i when it tv; is aroninpaitied by phenomenal unemployment. that could not lie witnessed to-day in any other industrial country. The orthodox I.ibernls forgot that the ilevelopinent of transport had eonipletely unset half the premises on which the five trade arguments were founded. Kxeept for n hrief reference to the heague of Nations Mr Baldwin's Swansea speech was solely on tariff relerttt. lie received an ovation from start to finish. .Mi- Baldwin said that the things that were vital to the prosperity of the nation were firstly, peace at home anil | ah road; secondly, that the national [ saving.* should he adequate to furnish f the capital required for the renewal j

I find the expansion of their machinery r ol‘production : thirdly, that neither the employers nor the workmen should unfairly he exposed to the merciless attacks of foreign competition, when the foreign competitors were it hie to entrench themselves behind the walls of their own tariff ; fourthly, they should do their utmost t» check the one-sided development of their industries, which had drawn a million people from the land, and had upset the wealthy population which ought to exist between the urban and the rural populations. iln the old fiscal campaign, he said, there had been much exaggeration on

both sitk's. As for C'ubden, “ho saw ihe angel of peace descending on the hind, clot lied in untnxed calico.” Personally, he did not say that any change tv ais going to bring the milleninm, hut the sham on some industries, due to foreign dumping, was sufficient to break tile hearts of all but the i stoutest. Mr fkddv.ii! went on in an effort to j detach Labour from the I'Yec Trade Party. !lo said: "l do not expect any I of my proposals in gain support from j the orthodox Liberals, but 1 shall hoi surprised if I fail to obiain some support front orthodox Labour, which is naturally protect ionisi. The idea of trade unionism is to preserve the standard of life. This is innate in the Briton, and should never he let go ; hut tiie hope of industry lies in Capital and Labour alike realising t hut its seetienal interests are only half of whole. The right way to regard cheap prod tieturn is in consider organisation and management ; but, remember, if the standard of life is to be sacrificed, trade is not worth having. The workmen of tin* country have already instituted a form of protection against old age. ill health, and unemployment. Workmen also endeavoured to protect tiieii- standard of life, through the u nde union. Vet they leave themselves

entirely unprotected against attack by free and unrestricted imports, produced by labour with which they cannot compete. Tins is indeed a very lopsided form of protection. Universal I ree trade is an ideal which inav be good, but it i&biot witliin tlie region of practical parities. There is far more chance of approaching ibis ideal by helping to approximate the fiscal system of Rritain to that of every other country. It would then lie possible to drive a bargain and got fairer trade than ever bet'ojo. It is not a fact that these proposals would add to the dis-

coal of the world. In the long run. by assimilating :the British practice with that of the rest: of the world, they would make fsjjy pence, us nil nations would speak wfth equality.” j In coneludinfe; Mr Baldwin invited | the audience, - r ‘to look into the sen I whence eometh 'your help! The ocean always has heeyy the high road of English and now the DoniinI ions and the Mother Country are united I to bring ilieir Ceight ;md strength to | light nn einpi oy uwtnt . f> Mil M ABBEY’S VIEWS.

N LONDON*. Oct. fit. .'.i i In* I;ink-':: Chamber of Commerce dinner, itti- Massey spoke. lie said tliai any one who examined the Board of Trade fedurns would see there many coin modifies imported from foreign countries Nvihieh. could, with a Utile encouragement, he produced within the Empire, muT which would be paid j for by the purchase of goods Britain manufactured. NTherc was no reason wby they ■houltT nut trade with other comitric.s, but there was every reason win they .should produce most of their own rei|uiieiiie>iits. lie hoped and believed the day Was coming when every British ship would he utilised. Whether they‘would rep n ire to give : effect to preference said Mr Massey. if was not for him to say.

Mr Massey emphasised the Shipping Committee’s fine work. The ocean, he said, was the British citizen's highway and they had to make the most of it. He hoped and believed that as the outcome of the conference, that highway would be better protected than before the war. hi a speech at the British Cold Storage and Ice Association. Mr Massey was the chief guest. He emphasised ihat there was no discrimination in Britain between the products of the foreign producer and foodstuffs from the overseas Dominions. The British people were given no opportunity in the shops of purchasing the Dominions' produce even if sentiment impelled them. Speaking of the importance of New Zealand as a supplier of the home market with mutton and lamb, lie said that since 188 f? Now Zealand had sent to Britain 142,333,000 carcases, as again -t the rest of the world’s 140,000,000. Last year New Zealand exported to Britain mutton valued at £2,0-10,000; lamb worth £4,-190,000; cheese valued at L‘0,433,000 and butter worth £11,119.-

00(1. Tho two latter totals were for the season ending June HO. He said there "ore 50,000 suppliers of dairy factories in New Zealand, according to the fit-tires of the dairy plebiscite, width showed the foundation the industry ha:! in Ute- Dominion, fie denied emphatically that the Meat Producers’ Hoard was a Socialistic venture, and he e? - idaiued its composition, objects, and achieved intentions, stating that he was glad of the opportunity to do so. in \ lew of the harmful propaganda whi dl had hoen circulated in Britain regat !- ing it, and the Dairy Control Board, which was on similar lines. The highly organised agents surely could not tlci:.< iho producers the same right in their own interests.