The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast times. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22nd 1924. IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 November 1924, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast times. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22nd 1924. IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Oni-: of a number of indieatiuns that the iicw P.iitish (iovernment is int<• 111 on active enterprise ill fostering trade within the Empire, says an exchange, appears in an announcement that a permanent Imperial Economic Committee is to 1..- established immediately. Sin.e it n;u approved by the Imperial Economic C dii.Vrcnce ji.sl over a year ago. the | mpisal to uiahc this important addition to the economic organisation of the Empire has suffered temporary neglect. The MacDonald (lorernmcnt at first intimated that it did not intend to set tip an Imperial K: oiicmic Committee. Later, it modified this decision, but it left ollice without talcing any action in the matter. As it was lirst raised at the Economic Conference, the proposal to set up tin' committee was in-

tended to provide lor permanent ami continuous co-operation in developing the resources of the Empire and interEmpire trade. The projet t was approved hy tile representative's of the then British Government and those of all the Dominions with tin' exception of Canada. The Canadian representative (Mr Graham) dissented on rather peculiar {'rounds. He doubted wheth.-r the committee was “really necessary.” and lifted further that it.s operations “mil'll! take somethin”: away from the freshness and the originality of the Economic Conference if it were to meet from time to time.” The Canadian attitude presumably was accounted for by some fear of possibly embarrassing commitments, but. fetus of this I iml appear to be ipiite unwarranted. The committee is intend'd to be a inrel.consultative and advisory body. Within the limits thus set there is undoubted scope for work by the committee that would he of immense value to the Empire and to ca ll of its constituent countries. Under the resolution of the Economic Conference, the committee ito renre.sent end he responsible to :.’i the Tlovernments represented in the Imperial Confereme. ft is to consider and adiv.se upon any matter of an eeonomie or commercial character (not being a matter appropriate to be dealt with bv the Imperial Shipping Committee) referred to it by any of the constituent Governments. It was agreed that Britain should be represented on the committee by four members, the Domonions hy two members each, Tndia by two members, and the Colonies and Protectorates by two members. All the countries of the overseas Empire, with the possible exception of Canada, no doubt will very gladly co-operate with the British Government in bringing tie Imperial Economic Committee into existence without delay. Tf men of the right type are appointed to it.s membership the committee will speedily justify its existence. When the establishment of the committee was undei discussion last year, the point was emphasised that a means would thus be provided of maintaining continuous consultation between Conferences and of giving practical effect to the resolutions of the Economic Conference hy assisting the producer at all times to get into touch with markets in all parts of the Emipre. The establishment of the committee might be amply justified on tho«o jrrouiuls alone. It will fin«l broad scope "for useful work in merely directing the attention of British exporters and Dominion producers to markets within the Empire that are either being neglected or are not studied and catered for as thev should ho. It is notorious, for instance, that even this country, with its high level of British imports. is obtaining from foreign ' countries

largo quantities of goods which Britain should ho able to supply. Probably there are many similar weaknesses in the existing organisation of Empire trade which might be rectified if they were systematically investigated. Apart from activities of this kind, however, the Imperial Economic Committee, as a body in a position to undertake extended and detailed investigations, should be able to open up new avenues ol co-operation in the development of Empire resources.