The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1930. BLOCKING THE WAY.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 October 1930, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1930. BLOCKING THE WAY.

riiß Imperial Conference is not making much headway regarding liimpire preference. Results so far have been negative defiii itely, and the Dominion representatives are rather losing hope of a successful outcome. According to the cables this week one of the delegates said huey more definitely than ever acknowledged abandonment of hope of the MacDonald Government accepting any preference scheme entailing taxation on ioreign lood imports. They are entering entirely without enthusiasm the d emissions on the British Government’s alternative proposals. The Import Board’s allocation of the quotas, as one delegate puts it, is a project that is fud of snags. You may possibly make a good start along a flowery path ( but sure ere long you find thorns are met. The upshot of the Dominion delegates estimate of the present situation is that they regard the prospect of profitably marketing Australia’s and New Zealand’s products and increasing outputs uf primary production as very gloomy. They are beginning to look forward to the necessity for a retrograde step, and having to recommend reduction of production as is being done already jtt the United States. One impression the Dominion delegates are sure to carry back is Britain’s almost parental care of Argentina interest owing to large British investments there. “Argentina is one of of our keenest competitors but the British Cabinet seems to regard -it almost as with the British family.” That Argentina is blocking the way, is borne out by the late treaty obligation's proposed as a result of the British Mission’s visit, and the projected exhibition in Argentina which is to be graced by the presence of the Prince of Wales. In tbps connection it -is interesting to quote from a late issue of the British Chamber of Commerce Journal of Buenos Aires, which puts in a strong plea for the maintenance of British free trade. “Without entering,” it says, “upon a polemic we cannot reasonably refrain from touching as lightly and impartially as it T possible for us to do, upon the burning question of Great Britain s fiscal policy. During flic first fortnight of Julv the cabled reports of what was said and written at home on the subject of Free Trade, Fair Trade, Protection, and Free Trade within the Frnpiro, came to hand very f"ll^ , after which there aims something of a lull in the news. It is, ol course, ft subject which must from its very nature divide commercial men into different camps. Moreover, so vital are the principles involved that nothing is easier than to arouse bitterness, juul even ill-feeling, by comment openly directed to the support of any particular shibboleth. One may, bow-

over, point out that the maintenance of (iieia Britain’s traditional policy of free trade, traditional that is to say, for almost exact!v a century, has a parliiular and imui diate importance for all who d > business in Argentina. Mention ot the fact that Free Trade in Great Britain is barely 100 years old may warrant a guarded reference to the utility of turning back History’s pages and noting what was written thereon between 1829 and 1840. Free trade was not a boon suddenly conferred in a moment of idealist. The matted jungle of commercial restrictions that had sprung up during and subsequent to the Napoleonic wars took much argument, and still more patience, ere it could 'be cleared away, and there is a remarkable similarity Iretwecu many of the arguments then employed and those which, are now brought forward in debate. The re marks of Sir Robert Peel in 1846 arc quoted, as also those of Mr Pouletf Thomson, both of whom urged England to maintain its free trade policy. And the Journal goes on to remark how successful Argentina has been with its international trade by building up widespread and profitable relationships. Circumstances appear to have so fallen out with Argentina that free trade lias helped its markets greatly. Situated at a moderate distance from the United States and Great Britain, a ltd producing valuable libel necessary row material and feed Supplies dvei* arid aboVb its own possible requirements Argentina became a useful trading ally for manuiUactured articles, and so the intimate trading relations have grown up. Gradually outside capital was drown into the great country for developing and cloning it up, and here again was the incentive for closer trading relations. Both British , ancl American capital was offering to the Argentina and great railway undertakings penetrating long distances into the hinterland, wore constructed, r,nd ‘the productivity and export of the country greatly enhanced. Fine stmimsliip services were established for the valuable trade, til! the itinerary has grown so great that the Argentina is now regarded in high places in ‘Great Britain, as “almost within the British family.’’ This realisation seems to have come to the minds of the delegates vat bier forcefully, and, has had a depressing effect accordingly. But the end is not ypt, and there is still time for a more successful issue from the present difficult situation as revealed by the official spokesman.