EMPIRE PREFERENCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 November 1923, Page 2

EMPIRE PREFERENCE.

MIL HA FI) WIN'S IDEAL. PUBLIC TO DECIDE ISSUE. [IIEfTKItS Tk r.EU It A MS. ] lßeceived this day at 8 a.in.) LONDON. Nov. 3. Mr Baldwin, at Manchester, ill developing the protectionist policy, said that his ideal was -‘One great Empire with free trade within its borders, and every part regarding itself as one home.” They could reach that ideal by binding the Empire together by an economic rally. It they did not do so, the law of economic gravitation must draw them into a more powerful economic orbit. By establishing prelevencc throughout the Empire they were doing nothing against the principle of free trade over a greater area. He proposed (1) To put a tax on manufactured goods, with special regard to those imports, that caused the greatest amount of unemployment. (2) To give substantial prcieivnce to the Dominions.

(3) To put no iax on wheat or meat. |.|) To investigate the In-si way to help agriculture and maintain the mtt ion’s tillage. (,>) To co-ordinate the list iug .schemes of insurance. (l!) To develop our own estate anil our Empire. It was all integral part, of his policy to devote a portion of the new revenue to pushing ahead development as never before. No one could say how long it would he before the economic conditions of Europe became stable. Ihe time had come for Britain to rely on herself. Air Baldwin incidentally declared: “Wo would not he satisfied until we had so developed the Empire and be absolutely independent of A mere-a w ith regard to cotton growing.” He concluded by intimating that the countrv must dc-ide after l!ic opposing policies had been explained to the public. .