THE EMPIRE'S RESOURCES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 288, 29 June 1917, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE EMPIRE'S RESOURCES.

Tho way in which the British Empire, has shouldered >ts responsibilit'eg n the colossi] conflict against the Central Powers, and in ihe br<cf time t-inec 1914 emerged from a state of unpreparedness for war into a condition of military efficiency which is superior to that of Germany, with forty years preparation behind her, has shown the world that so far from being decadent, the British people nre capable of even bigger tilings than they have achieved in the past. The war has deeply stirred tho British r.Und, and ha*. . c et the British people thinkng on new lines. It is not surprising, therefore, to learn thr.t ono result of the national awakening has been to give birth to aschemo for the practical development nf the resources of the Emp're, which in other days would have been regarded as visionary, because of its magnitude. The foundation if this scheme '6 the re cognition that the British Emp're is "{fie finest undeveloped estate in the history of the woild." This definition belongs to Mr. Wilson Fox, and it is as the resnlfc of a series of articles contributed by him in Septemeber last to the 'Times" that the rehemc has been taken up by snmo influential public men, includiiV? Earl Grey, Lord Se!borne, Lord Desbarcugh, Lord Dunraven, Lord Islington, Lord Plymouth, Sir

Starr .Tame-on, Sir L. Worthington Evans, Sir William Bull, and Mr. Rudyard Kipling. An Empire Resource, Development Conii ittec has been form etl with the following objects:—l. Tho conservation for 'he benefit of the Empire of such natural resource; as are, or may come, under tlie ownership or eonirol of the Imperial, Dominion or Indian Governments. 2. The development of selected resources under such conditions as will give to tlie State an adevuate. share of the proceeds. 3. The appointment of a Board for the conservation and development of the resources of the Empire, so that Imperial effort may be crreentrated on assets ripo for development for the Empire':-: common good, iiie objects, when expressed in such general terms, seem rather cagu?, and even suggest that th? Empire Resources Development Com mittre may prove to l>e one of thova mushroom growth? which make their appearance when the atmosphere- is charged with Imperialism, and subsequently fade away without leaving any record of practical work behind them. But we learn friin the London correspondent of IrVictorian contemporary, that this committee has practical a'ms of a denfiite character, which can scarcely fail to lnd support from all those wno are interested in the development of the Empire. It doc 6 not propose to spend its time passing rosclu tions, and it dojs not propose to attract capital for the development rf the resource; of the Empire by circulating information 1 ;.s to the rich field* that await exploitation. It realises that the taflk cf fully developing the resources of the Eiiipire is too big for privato enterprise, and that it can bo covered adequately only by the State. Virtually it proposes to ask the State to embark on a vast scheme of State socialism in new directions, and to employ the profits in the reduction of the war debt. The committee believes that in the course of a decade the resources. cf thi> Empire < an l e developed to an ex i tent which will I ring i s a revenue of many millions of pounds. The co-op- | oration of the overseas Dominiolw will bo sought in any propcsal that directly concerns tl em. Tho first claim of tho. committee is the creation by the B: itish Government of an Imperial Development Board, consisting of business men who are identifie 1 with some of the industries of the Empire which are cap-

able < f considerable expansion. The committee suggests that as a beginning the board should take in hand the agri<■iiltur.il development of the Enip're, the development of tropical palm pro duct-;, and the development o! fisheri< ;. Millions of acres of land in various parts of thr> Empire are un*,i!led. The cultivation cf tl.ese srer.s would yeild food !':>r the Kmpire and substantial monetary profits for the State owning t!i>i land. The annual value of the world's oupply of oil pa;ins and coconut product i is about Four-fifths of the.se products come from the British Empire, which possesses meat of the. parts of t'.io worid best suited for the coconut palm. 'Jli:s industry Ls only in it-3 infancy, and is capable cf enormous development. And .so, too, with the fishing industry. Mr A. Bigland, M.P., a Liverpool business man, who is M m°mber of the Kn.;>ire Resources Committee, has put forward some ;n----tercsting views regarding the development of the fisheries of tho Empire. Two years ago tho Minister of Munitions asked him in his business capacity to take charge of the import of all oils containing glycerine, as the glycerine was wanted for the manufacture of cordite. He found that the Briti.sh Government controlled the whale fishing in the Antarctic by the issue of liconc-65 to fish there. In the-e licences ho inserted a provision that the catch was to be brought to Great Britain. As a result tho British Government had been getting GGO,C?O barrels of oil per annum since the outbreak of the war. Ho was buying this oil for the Government at £'3S a ton, but Germany was paying C3OO a ton for the small lots i-lio was able to get. The argument is. of •'•ourse, that th.-British Government ought to profit by this experience after the war, and tuin to profitable us. l the great fleet -»f steam trawlers now used in mine sweeping and other duties The-c are only thr<'o of the many directions in which the services of the Imperial Development Board could be usefully employed, so that it would seem that its founders 'nave called into

being an organisation which, properly directed, is fraught with possibilities of great benefit to the people of the Empire.