Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1938. OTHER PEOPLE AND OUR BUSINESS.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 June 1938, Page 6

Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1938. OTHER PEOPLE AND OUR BUSINESS.

REALLY choice example of interference in other people’s business appeared in the cabled report of one part of the proceedings of the International Wool Conference, which met last week in London. For New Zealanders, the example takes, or should take, additional and piquant interest from the fact that the business interfered with was that of the people of New Zealand.

The conference passed a resolution, the report stated, “unanimously opposing the scouring of wool in New Zealand.” But for the implied threat which it embodies, the resolution might be dismissed as merely impertinent. On the simple merits of the case it cannot be regarded as the business of anyone else than the people of New Zealand to determine whether wool shall be scoured in this country or not. The overseas commercial and industrial interests which so obviously monopolised effective representation at the International Wool Conference have made it clear from time to time, however, that they are prepared to use more than words in opposing the scouring of wool in New Zealand.

Various arguments and suggestions which have been put forward by these interests sum up as a definite threat that the marketing of New Zealand wool will be prejudiced if the material is put through preliminary stages of manufacture in its country of origin. It would be a foolish policy merely to defy the commercial and industrial powers which handle our wool at the other end of the world and invite them to do their worst. In an actual test, their worst might prove to be, from our standpoint, very unpleasant indeed.

It is another matter to conclude, however, that this country must resign itself indefinitely to being denied, at the behest of oversea industrialists and business men, the right to process its own Taw materials. The position no doubt will be met wisely a.nd judiciously by methodical study and investigation directed to the discovery of sale aiid profitable methods of defeating and setting aside the overseas ban meantime imposed on what should be important and promising branches of New Zealand development.

Very largely it is a matter of learning how to east off shackles imposed on us by overseas interests, some of fhem foreign interests, for their own profit and advantage. In seeking full and unhampered freedom to expand and extend industries, it should not be necessary to depend only on the strength we can muster within this Dominion, or derive from association with other primary-producing countries which have similar aims of industrial development to pursue. . .

At anything but the narrowest and most selfishly sectional view, the interests of the whole British Empire demand that processing an.d manufacturing industries should develop freely and unhampered in the Dominions I Only in these conditions can there be the rapid and considerable increase in the population of the Dominions which is essential if the Empire is ever to enjoy reasonable security.

As a people, we are relying largely tor security at present on the heavy rearmament of Great Britain and on a considerably lighter arming of the Dominions. In a world whose affairs tend increasingly to be dominated by the piratical tactics of gangster dictatorships, asserting the right to help themselves to whatever territories and populations happen to take their fancy, the measure o„ security the Empire derives .from its loyal association o . partner nations leaves a good deal to be desired.

The Dominions individually must be strengthened if the Empire is to be as strong as it ought to be for the sake of its own security and of work! peace. This imp les primarily the building up in the Dominions of adequate populations, a development obviously not to be brought about in any other way than by the enterprising expansion and extension oE industries of all kinds. It should )e recognised that oversea inte: rests which persistently anc systematically oppose the expansion of processing and manufacturing industries in this country and otheis die doing what in them lies to undermine and endanger the future of the Empire as well as that oi the individual Dominions whose freedom and normal industrial development, they seek, for their own immediate ends, to curtail.