EMPIRE FREE TRADE

Hokitika Guardian, 1 February 1930, Page 6

EMPIRE FREE TRADE

L. GEORGE RIDICULES PRESS BACKERS. [United Press Association. —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.] LONDON, January 30. It would he more correct to say that the,debate in the House ol Commons on the Conservative motion in-favour of Empire free trade was talked out than that it was adjourned, Pi:actic 7 ally the whole House welcomed, the avoidance of a division. Mr Llo,\d George began by asking wluit policy they were invited to light for. Mrit for Lord Beaverbrook’s, or that of the other Conservative Party leader, Lord Rothermere ? Was it for the manufactured goods of which England got none, from the Dominions, or so insignificant an amount as to be of no use? Not a word was said as to that. Was it a promise that if the Dominions dropped their traifls, Britain would tax foreign food and raw materials'? We all were for making the Empire an economic unit, but were we going to ask, the Dominions not to push* out goods that competed with theirs? We already were conceding free trade to the Dominions and colonies. Their food and raw materials entered free. -It would be Empire free trade if they gave us the same access for- our commodities.- Lord., -Bea-ver-brook had a new policy fqr every moon, and he sent it immediately to the “Morning Post:’-’ ; • Thi-s. vivas a sort of “trying it on the dag.” If it survived, then the “Daily Express _ had to swallow it! . There Would- have to be greater efforts before some members swallowed it. They would have to be. .forcibly fed! Difficulties ..had. arisen in the Dominions. Their key industries had. to be exempted ; so what remained? It was not iron, steel, machinery, or textiles, but a few unimportant odds and ends. This scheme was that it was linked with catchwords, seeking to attract both the fiee trader and the protectionist. The worst of it was that it would lesult in a huge controversy, diverting the people’s minds from an examination of the real difficulties. The way out of this was a reorganisation of the country, sticking to realites and droping fantasies. When Mr Snwden finished with his insistence that a vote in favour of the motion meant one in favour of a tax on the people’s food, half-a-dozen Conservatives jumped up. One said he wanted to “nail that lie.” This caused an outburst from the Labourites. Meanwhile the moment had passed when the debate must close. A , Liberal moved the closure, but the Speaker did not hear. Amid a din, he called the .next motion.

Mr Baldwin quitted the House befor the debate. Lord Beaverbrook listened in the gallery.