Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, JULY 22, 1929 BRITAIN AND THE EMPIRE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 22 July 1929, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, JULY 22, 1929 BRITAIN AND THE EMPIRE

STILL another favourable expression of opinion, on the advantages of effecting the economic union of the Empire, is that recently delivered by Sir Henry Drayton, ex-Minister of Finance of the Dominion of Canada. Speaking at the Canada Club dinner, held in London last month, he said: The tie between Canada and the Mother Country ought to be more than a mere expression of sentiment. Had they ever considered why the United States were doing so well? There was more difference between the laws of some of the United States than there was between the laws of America and Great Britain, but commercially and financially that country (the U.S.A.) was one. It offered a common, diplomatic, financial, and commercial front against everybody else. It was easy for the British Empire to have a similar united front. Some Canadians dreamt of a time when there would be no tariff walls within the Empire, but in their place a financial and commer-

cial union. It will have been noticed that the proponents of free trade within the Empire have not as yet attempted to propound a cut-and-dried plan. Therein they are wise, for them to do so would necessarily mean confusion, since the feeling of the Empire on so important matter needs first to be obtained, before it is possible for anyone to say what form the union should take. But expressions of I approval of the general proposal that some such union should be formed, are the best means of interesting the general public of the Empire in the project whicl/can only be carried through when that public has given its consent. It is interesting, however, to note that to a certain extent the ground is prepares for such an economic union. The free tiade of Great Britain with the Empire overseas is an existing fact, and it only needs that she shall protect herself economically against foreign nations for the economic union of the Empire to be accomplished so far as she is concerned. The protective tariff walls erected by the Dominions need but be lowered so far as they affect inter-Empire trade, and the economic unity of the Empire will be effected so far as the Dominions are concerned. But that is not to say that difficulties do not remain. Though the highest experts affirm that the Empire can he made self-dependent in the matter of food supplies, raw materials, and manufactured goods, there still would remain the problem of supplying Great Britain, with the best and cheapest of food and raw materials, which the Dominion and Colonies would have to guarantee before she would consent to rely solely on them. Then, on their part, the Dominions would not consent to the obliteration of their existing secondary industries hv admitting British manufactured industries free, but would discriminate in regard to such manufac--1 "'•* -'is they were interested in individ- ’! 1 y Tt does not appear that this difficulty is insuperable, since the body of trade affected, so far as Great Britain is concerned, is comparatively small, and the great bulk of her export

trade to the Dominions would certainly increase. Adjustments in regard to the incidence of taxation would have to be made in the Dominions. Ho that a cursory glance at I In: quest ion seems to justify the opinion of Sir Henry Drayton that it is not didieult for the Empire to present a united economic front to the rest of the world.