CO129-549-14 Commission of Enquiry into trade of Colony 17-7-1934 - 18-1-1935 — Page 33

דז

CONFIDENTIAL

DIEU

ET MON

DROIT

Laufer befor

Government House, 3 ong ong.

RECEIVED

- 6 NOV 1934

3rd October, 1934.

My dar

den

(5)

0.

Many thanks for your letter of the 29th August

and for the copy of the report of an Inter-departmental

Committee on the Industrial Development of the Colonial

Empire. I duly passed it on to the Chairman of the

Economic Commission as requested. I showed it confidentially

to H.M. Trade Commissioner here (Pelham) and enclose a copy

of certain observations made by him thereon which may be of

interest to you and with which I am in general agreement.

I appreciate the fact that Hong Kong cannot give

much preference to the United Kingdom but we have one what

we can in a small way in regard to Empire preference; e.g.

we have given some preference to Empire motor cars, Canadian

beer, Australian wines and Empire tobaccos.

Owing in a large measure to high tariffs especially

in China and to reduced purchasing power in that country our

trade at present is in an exceedingly bad way and, though I

am always inclined to optimism, I am doubtful whether we have