FACTS ABOUT TRADE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2256, 16 September 1914, Page 3

FACTS ABOUT TRADE

ENGLAND'S PROSPECTS NOT IN COMMERCIAL DOTAGE SPEECH BY MR. W. G. WICKHAM. Mr. W. G. Wiokham, Commissioner in New Zealand for the British Board of Trade, was the,guest of honour at the, New Zealand Club's luncheon yesterday at the Y.M.C.A. Introducing the guest tho-president (Mr. F. W. Pope) said that it was the first meeting of the club since tho war broke out, and at a suitable timo he would ask them to properly express their feelings. The war was one between Kaiserdom on the one hand and liberty on the other. The point he wished to emphasise was that tho winning of the-war'against, Germany would benefit the Germans just as much as it would themselves, since ' it would be the means of setting the Germans free in more senses than one —and, in particular, free to compete more strenuously than ever for the trade of tho world, and it behoved them ono and all to do all that was .possible to strengthen the Empire's trade before the enemy was able to, shako off the incubus of war.

Mr. Wickham, who was given a cordial reception, said that he had just completed a four months' tour of tho industrial centres, <3f' England, having 'been interviewed by'4so firms and been shown over 50 factories. Though in the early' summer there were signs of a slackening, after four. years of unprecedented trade boom, almost all the English, industries were still going at full pressure. Ho' could never remember being so impressed by the rush and bustle of the Old Country, which it was rather tho fashion nowadays to talk of as' sleepy and behind the_ times. "I know of no country," .said Mr. Wickham, "of which one can say more_ truly that leisure means the opportunity of right to select the sphere in which to bo busy, just as it is true that tho attainment of leisure is the goal which prompts and justifies hard work." Business and Sentiment. Beferring to the commercial aspect of the war, and the relationship between business and sentiment Mr. Wickham said- that while it was not true that there'was no sentiment in business, he expressly disclaimed any suggestion that New Zeajand'should buy unsuitable or expensive goods . for sentimental reasons. If Britain could not supply the goods, she must stand down and let them be bought elsewhere. He maintained,'however, that Britain'could hold the market by supplying the best goods and that she had not been given a fair run in the past. He, deprecated unsupported statements damaging to tho British manufacturer, which were too readily accepted, although they would not bear examination, for a moment.

A Good Maxim. "A.maxim which was impressed on me many years ago," he continued, was, 'Never take it for granted that people rire fools because you doji't understand them.'-.-.. I. quote this because. I feel convinced that what is primarily needed td # put' business, relations with the Old Country on a more satisfactory basis is greater readiness to look for explanations of apparent anomalies, and ,a good deal less readiness to convert the lapses of individuals,' whether in common sense, energy,, accuracy, or honesty,' into general condemnations of a whole nation. It is only too easy to. produce equally or 'more accurate generalisations flatly contradicting those which-1 complain of as current. But this method of argument is bad, because generalisations of this kind .are almost invariably unfair and misleading. They are bad at any time, and applied to any country, but they are especially unkind and disloyal when applied to the United Kingdom, and I am convinced that, more good would be done to Britain and to British trade if all people, professional as well as commercial, would make a point of challenging these statements when they hear" them or read them. If more people would start with the presupposition that England and Scotland are not anywhore 'near commercial dotage, and demand facts when they are given these clap-trap generalisations, they would be surprised to find how little knowledge it takes to make them vanish into smoke.

Tho True Test. "If you want to know Sheffield's reputation for steel making, go and ask in America. If you want to know what ■British manufacturers can do, don't look in the London newspapers, but in the statistics for the exports of.all sorts and kinds of manufactured goods which we sell at a profit in-countries which have.tho' highest protective tariffs. Go and ask the local manufacturers thero whether British manufacturers and merchants 'are antiquated fossils. And when people tell you how much cleverer the Germans are at designs, go and ask in any of our industrial centres about pirated designs' and trademarks and cheap imitations of standard British makes.

Tho Foundations of Trade. "Thero.is much talk just now of boycotting German and 'Austrian goods on the ground that it is giving sinews of ivar to potential enemies.. That is a sentiment which may endure for a time. But though there may he some, there is not much sentiment in business, slid t want a more sure foundation for British trade. Do not forgot tho millions of Germany's commercial and industrial classes who,' if they had a voice ■in the Government, would have had no frantic warship building, no annual additions to tho national debt in peace time, and no war now. Tho Best Economy. "I want to see our trade relations based on a foundation which will last beyond'the war time when racial animosities are forgotten. The only true and enduring basis is quality. Manufacture the best quality here, ; export.the best quality, and import the best quality. You will find it the best economy in the long run, and you will also find that the bulk of your export and import trade'is with the.Old Country. Learn to laugh at our pessimistic croaking: and learn at the same time to treat other countries' bagmen's tales as they should be treated. Manufacturers are not' fairy godmothers, though they may be very clever, they will give you value of .1 kind, if you cut the price down, but'for all their talk they will take it out in the quality." At tho conclusion of his address, Mr YTickham was given a cordial vote of thanks, and after the singing of "God Savo: the King," the gathering dispersed. ,