England Looks To Dominions

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 787, 7 October 1929, Page 14

England Looks To Dominions

PRODUCE DEMAND SIR JAMES MURDOCH’S VIEWS “There is a greater tendency in England today than ever before to buy Dominion produce. This is in evidence everywhere. “I found business men and manufacturers in England more alive to the importance ,of the Dominions than on any of my previous visits.” These two stat /tents by Sir James Murdoch, K.8.E., C.M.G., and member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales, show how conditions are changing in England. Sir James is a through passenger on the Niagara on his way back to Sydney. He went to England principally on a health trip, but he purchased a number of pedigree Aberdeen cattle from which he will breed

on his station of 2,700 acres in Australia. "Farming in England has gone back tremendously during the last two years,” said Sir James: “I believe there are now about 700,000 acres which are not being cultivated. It does not pay the English farmer to grow wheat. This grain can be purchased cheaper from outside countries. “To me the position is that they are encouraging the dole rather than encouraging the farmers. That is the real position and a very sad one.” During his travels through England, Sir James said that he saw no evidence of poverty. There was an air of prosperity everywhere. People seemed to be just as extravagant and wild-living as they were in Australia. He smilingly suggested that they might be living on borrowed money. Talking of English politics, Sir James said that he was in London at the time of the last General Election. At first there was a feeling of gloom because of the success of the Labour Party but in three weeks’ time the position was completely changed when the people found that no drastic changes were contemplated. Mr. Philip Snowden’s success at The Hague also brought hope to England and inspired faith in the party. “The advent of the Labour Party will make a great difference to England,” Sir James continued. “Unless the party is foolish enough to remove the duty on a number of small commodities I don’t see why it should not run its full term, but if that duty is removed the party will not last a month.” Sir James is accompanied by Lady Murdoch and their daughter, who did war work with the Australian forces during the war.