The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY OCTOBER 11, 1930. THE TROUSERS EPISODE.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 October 1930, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY OCTOBER 11, 1930. THE TROUSERS EPISODE.

Pkobably Sir Thomas • \\'ilforcl was not altogether in a facetious view when an High Commissioner of New Zealand at Home, lie brought under the notice of the newly arrived Prime Minister (Mr Forbes) -how' cheaply foreign clothing can be brought n;>. to the English market, and sold for a few pence. A pair of trousers was used Uis the object lesson, ailcl it was hoped iio doubt the occasion might bring home to those ulideir whbtse notice it would be broughtj tile Heed for British tariff reforrit, , There is no doubt about the effect of tlm system Of fiee imports jit Home, - Clothing made uformid, and BoW dn-Rt'itttin • in largo quantities “at prices 100 per cent Wow the lowest prices the British makers are nble to roach,’’ clearly represents, as the Auckland Star points out, a mast dangerous form of competition; and Sir T. M. Wilforc! very naturally drawn the conclusion not only that the British workers need protection against their harder worked and lower paid foreign rivals, but that the suggested import duty of 10 to 15 per cent ad valorem on such goods would be altogether inadequate to Britain’s industrials needs. But the only proposal nut forward combining the full development of the resources of the Empire with the defence of British trade against foreign competition is a scheme for Imperial Reciprocity, which cannot be carried into effect unless and until Britain decides tt> deviate from her Free Trade principles and traditions. . In this connection special significance attaches to the resolutions carried three months ago by a meeting of leading London bankers. In the opinion of this meeting, “the immediate step for securing and extending the market for British goods lies in reciprocal trade agreements between the nations constituting the British Empire.’’ But iu order to secure such agreements, and thus reserve the colonial markets as vfar as .possible for British products, Britain must be “prepared to impose duties oil all imports from all other countries.” Naturhlly this resolution created a great sensation when it was first circulated in the London Press. Mr Snowden mistakenly tried to minimise its effects by insisting that those responsible for it were not really representative of r u\nncial and commercial opinion at Home. But within a few days it was known that the resolution <iad been supported or endorsed by the chairmen of the five great joint stock banks, Barclay’s, Lloyds, the National Provincial, the Midland, and the ’Westminster, by two Bank of England directors, and by a large number or other influential financiers. According to Mr L. S. Amery, “the im- ])•• ’ssion created was profound” and he accepts this resolution as a stiik.ng proof that the reaction against Free Trade at Home ijs much deeper and stronger than most people have yet imagined. If we arc to take this remarkable incident as a fair indication of the state of public feeling on this question just now, the Dominion delegates at'the Imperial Conference may find, after all, that the difficulties obstructing the adoption of some form of Imperial Eeciprobty are not absolutely insuperable. Vet. it has tc he borne in mind that the Labo.u Government it; power is not sympathetic to a policy of reciprocity. Both Mr MacDonald and Mr Snowden have indicated their opposition and as a ccnflc-quence not a great deal of progress will be made at this juncture.

11. dors seem lively that the next British general elections will be fought out on 'tariff issues, and it is sure to be a very stiff contest.