London, Sept. 29.
No Imperial Conference has ever been looked forward to more eagerly than that which opens the generally felt that the Empire stands at a parting of the ways, that an opportunity for laying the foundations of Imperial economic unity and development is now~ presented which may never recur.
Limes" puts the situation nutshell thus her industrial markets for her manufactures in the Dominions; the distress to Great dominions in their. tain for markets for their produce.
What chance is there of mutual assai The growth economic groups Northwest Europe: tralized in Scandinay the Central cial treaty. with Germany from which great things were hoped haa proved very disappointing, approach-the Conference in' a much more accommodating mood than formers In Great Britain nothing is more noticeable than the universal turaing in favour of protection. in some form. The memorandum of the Economic Committee of the Trade Union Council, urging closer economic relations with the Domtinions by every possible moaria which was adopted at the Trade Union Congress in August by Large majority—shows which way trade union feeling is moving. At the autumnal meeting of the Sock ah Canis Commerce held at Birmingham last European group of " agricultural countries; Mf. Briand's Pan-European ideal; and the increasing insularity of the United States—has turned opinion more and more in favour of a similar tightening of relations between the British peoples. The average individual's thought may be expressed thus: "We have inheritance which produces practically everything man can want. Why not develop it'
The proposition thus stated appears so simple and is so widely accepted now, that it is difficult to believe in the obloquy with which Mr. Joseph Chamberlain's similar stotment and proposals for meeting it were received. He would find a great change to-day.
Anticipations of the Conference are as keen in the Dominions as in England. In Canada, although the United States sold her more and bought more from her in 1929 than Great Britain, feeling has been turned strongly away from America, by that country's recent enormous tariff increase, and towards the Motherland. Australia's financial troubles, the fruit of years of extravagant Labour legislation, have been greatly accentuated by the fall in the prices of wheat and wool, her two great staples. While America yearly sells more and more to her, her own exports to America show no increase. In turning to Great Britain to help her marketing, Australia can point to substantial advantages she gives ito British manufacturers, cotton, motor-ears, paper ete. imported free, with' a 15 per cent. duty against foreigners. New Zealand sends 78 per cent. of her exports too and takes 46 per cent. of her imports from, Great Britain. She is and always has been ardently "pro-British" and eager for every measure which can draw closer her with the Mother Country.
Even South Africa, whose commer-cantinging was carried by a largo majority, Even the Manchester Chamber of your readers. will recall, rently decided in favour of a similar course, after a careful reits members. At the meeting the newly formed National Council of I try and Commerce, Sir William Morris (of the famous motor firm) said from the chai roand of the worl and i'ts"qule This country is the dun vray with that daniping ground. without told Rout Free trade th ust con tovan end, hi tele "pro. duced, by with theory" but "With: facts thie ounry" hax always' made a point of taxing' practically "everything.
produce," On the' gunee fit we could produce anything to the foreigner "Send 'The British Empire Producers' Association would naturally support preferential schemes. But the memorandum they have prepared for the could hardly Conference public opinion were generally benevolent. In this memorandum, they express the firm belief after the moat careful consideration that a tariff should be pat upon foreign food. stuffs, with free or preferential fantry for Empire products: and they point, in support of their case, to the success obtained by the pre ferences given to Empire supplies of sugar, tobacco, dried" feu coffee, cacan ete.
Undoubtedly. the school of out. and-out Free Traders is dwindling while the Protectionists grow ever bolder. But Britons are nothing if not cautious. Here and there voices have been raised against the danger of "panic legislation." In these circumstances there hax been wide welcome for the joint commendations addressed" to the the person or persons who name the cars have been getting even more prosaic, going into the manufacturing realms for inspirs One car named another others, possibly "Listerine" may galloping madly down a steel rail at the rate of one hundred miles an-hour at this very moment. Of course little personal suggestions may do no good and no doubt the names are influenced by political or economic discretion. However, in a modest whisper the following' suggestions are submitted: For dining cars, "The Roast Pig," "Hungarian "Plum Pudding," "Vienna or "Strawberry Frappé." If these names are a bit too fantasy conservative names which would still be. gastronomically apropos would be the names of famous eating houses in America "Ptomaine For_sicepi Sleeping Beauty," popular appeal for those who must be coaxed to sleep in a berth any-'Why ask anybody to seen named Thomas Edison when everyone knows that venerable iaard sleeps practically not at all, any? No, the present system is all wrong.—31.6.
Prime Minister by the General Council of the Trades Union Congress and the Federation of British Tndustries, for the better economic organization of the British Come monwealth of Nations.
In passing one may note the enormous significance of these two borties, once supposedly antagonisfic, now working hand-in-hand at such a time and for such purpose.
They call attention to the fact that better machinery exists in the League of Nations for discussing economic questions between Great Britain and foreign countries, than there is for shaping an economic policy for the British Common wealth. They therefore urge that common council should at once called for Great Britain and the Dominions, to inquire and report on all matters of common economic interest. It should include representatives of industry and agriculture, employers and employ ed, commerce, finance, shipping, and "one or more" civil servants, Simultaneously the T.U.C. and F.B.L urge that this Council should have a permanent secretariat, which would also advise Imperial Conference on all economic questions, The importance of this scheme is that it would trade and industry a new footing as against the politicians. Tt would not supersede the Civil Service economic adviser, but should greatly stimulate it, serve as a corrective:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.