EMPIRE TRADE

Southland Times, Issue 18852, 18 June 1920, Page 5

EMPIRE TRADE

MR R. W. DALTON ENTERTAINED. DOMINIONS AND PREFERENCE. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, June 17. Mr R. W. Dalton, the British Trade Commissioner ,was entertained (o-day by the British Manufacturers and Agents’ Association of New Zealand, prior to his departure. In the course of his remarks, Mr Dalton said the British export trade to New Zealand in 1914 was 67 per cent, of the total trade of the dominion. In 1919 it decreased to 45 per cent. The United States’ share in the same period rose from 11 to 27 per cent., but he believed there was every prospect of British trade returning to its former position and passing it. Mr Massey, in respontinp to the toast of Parliament, highly praised Mr Dalton’s work for British trade, and his intense interest in and affection for New Zealand. He endorsed Mr Dalton's view that Great Britain would fully regain the trade it had lost in New Zealand and elsewhere. The Government had derided that tariff revision would he part of the business of Parliament in 1921. The work would be long, arduous, and complicated, as they knew that since Parliament revised the tariff thirteen years ago many anomalies had crept in. Modifications were now very necessary. Mr Massey referred to his advocacy of British and Imperial preference at the late conference. That was part of the Imperial Government’s policy now, and was, in fact, the law of the land. The principle had been adopted and a wedge driver in. He honed it. would be driven in further, end that New' Zealand would give it fuller support. He referred specially to the ,-eliance Europe had on Germany for sugar. They snouid raise it all within the Empire, and in war or peace they should never again rely upon any foreign country for things that could he produced in the Empire. England had to give up the idea of according preference to all people. They must now confine it to the British Empire.