Nov 6.
The third annual report of the British Empire Marketing some amazing facts of the strides Dominions and Colo: tributors to the world's markets and the development of the Empire's resources since the begin ning of "this century, Thus Canaa's exports of wheat have grown from about a quarter of 4 million to seven million tons and of newsprint from nothing to two million tons. Australia's export of wool has risen from 500 to 800 million pounds and of wheat from half to a million tons, New Zealand's chief exports are wool and dairy pro-the first has gone up from. under 150 million to over 200 Dr. Yui speaks with more|million pounds, and butter from Jess than a quarter million, and cheese from 100,000 cwt, to nearly one and a half. million cwt. in each case, In the Union of South Africa shipments of wool have risen from 90 to 260 million pounds. Newfoundland has developed an export trade in paper to the annual value of £24 million. India's chief staple, raw cotton, has increased from 400 to nearly 1,500 million pounds and tea from 190 to 360 million pounds, Ceylon's tea export has risen from 140 to 228 million pounds; that of rubber from seventy-three hundredweight to a million and a quarter; of copra from under half 9 million to two million hundredweight. Nigeria now exports 109 million pounds of cocoa and the Gold Coast 490 millions, as against half, and one and quarter millions at the opening of the century. These are but a sample of the exciting and most satisfactory figures that might be quoted.
In connection with these facts, the last mail brings a report of a speech by Dr. Addison, Parliamentary Secretary to the Mi try of. Agriculture, delivered. at the International Grocers!" Ex~ stress on the unlimited possibil! ties which' the Marketing Bonrd™ hibition, Drs Addison cat presented for producer, trader: and consumer alike, and on the remarkable success' with which: its efforts had already met, olthough.they were still only in" the stage of "small beginnings": 'The problem was to' persuade consumers that things they had hitherto taken from foreign: countries could be got as well': or better from within the Empire. "The Government were now considering", Dr. Addison is reported as saying, "by what means they could help to bring home-grown goods as well as. cther Empire goods. prominently: before the mind of the housewife in a proper form, They proposed, if allowed by Parliament, to go a good long way in pro moting the organized marketing, of our goods", Dr. Addiszn. went on to speak of the success.
hich had been obtained in a+ system of national marking for eggs and other commodities, and this it was meant to extend.
Dimly one recalls the days of: the stamp "Made in Germany' In had been designed as a deter rent, but actually proved an.advertisement, Oneis glad to heat that it acts with equal-efficacy for British produce. "There we: a demand in Great Britain" (Di Addison went on) "for all that! the Home land and other parks of the Empire could produce.
Tu passing, these allusions to" what might be done by Home farmers and dairymen ave particularly welcome, England has a soil of great Tichness and her climate is on the whole superior to that of Belgium, Holland and; Denmark, Why she should.con~ tinue to buy the quantities of: foodstuffs that she does from the. latter countries to the detriment of her own people, is a mystery, Speeches like Dr. Addison' and the Empire Marketing Boards report point to interes ing: possibilities when next yen" Budget comes to be framed. The Labour Party, it will be recalled announced their intention, before" they got into office, of taking off all preferential duties. But will they be able to do so? Will they: even wish to do so? In theory. free traders, one hi suspicion that they adopted thi attitude years ago without hav ing seriously considered question and largely because it seemed & necessary part ati opposition to anything the Con-, servatives might be expected its favour, The stupid, thoughtless: ery "Your food will cost you more" was allowed to cloud ah issue which should never have been permitted to degenerate into a party question. Actually; it is arguable that it would ads! vantage the whole nation to pavy a trifle more for its food and save in other directions, tuner: ployment for instance.
There is, however, no question taxing food. There is avery immediate question of maintaining and extending the existing. system of Imperial preference, The advantages given by the: Dominions to goods from th Home Country naturally entail: 8 quid pro quo; and, if the latter is withheld, we cannot expect consideration from them. The trend of "economic conditions throughout the world is steadily" forcing men to realize that the British Empire must look hence~ forward to itself. The tariff) walls of Europe will certainly. grow no lower, nor will Ameti= ca's, Meanwhile the movement of industrial life in, Great: Brix tain helps to a new and clearer conception of its own necessities. The "Manchester School" dom! nated the latter "years of the nineteenth' century largely. be~ cause the North Industriatgyy
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.