The Dominion. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1916. NEW ZEALAND AND THE BRITISH MANUFACTURER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2865, 1 September 1916, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1916. NEW ZEALAND AND THE BRITISH MANUFACTURER

Thb interesting comments of the late British Trade Commissioner on New Zealand trade, and more especially that portion of his report (relating to the position of tho British manufacturer, deserve more than passing attention. Mn. Wickhah has gone to some pains to contrast tho position of the . New Zealand producer with that of tho British manufacturer under war conditions, and in the main little exception can be taken to his presentation of the tacts. New Zealand, as seen by the late representative of the British Board of Trade in the Dominion, is flourishing under the conditions created by the war. Its position is one of "overwhelming prosperity," to quote _his exact words, and this, as he points out,' is due to tho abnormal prices realised for our priniarv products. On the other hand, the British manufacturer as dc-.i picted by Mb. Wickham is reaping no harvest, owing to his energies being largely concentrated on the manufacture of munitions, which, while it is assisting Britain and her Allies to win the war, is enabling the manufacturer's foreign rivals to jtittack his hold on the markets of the world, and.incidentally the Now Zealand market. It is possible that [Out late Trade Commissioner takes fcoo gloomy a view of • the present [position of the British manufacturer. He may not be finding the war so profitable financially as the New Zealand'producer, but in most cases the change in tho output from his works and factories probably has not affected him to any appreciable extent bo far as the immediate present is ooncerned. But he is oo'ni fronted with a very real danger in I the future. What aro his prospects after the war of regaining his hold on the markets of the world which he jhas temporarily lost owing' to inability to supply the goods,required by his customers 1 Can he hope that with the return to peace those who* have been driven to purchase from American or Japanese manufacturers will break that connection and revert once more to their old sources i of supply in Great Britain?' Me. Wiokhaii only discusses the question in relation to New Zealand trade, and it is plain that he views the situation with some misgivings.

Tho facts must be faced, and, as far as possible,, made known," he write. "Some importers have transferred their custom to foreign countries in a purely commercial Ifspirit, buying their requirements from the most obvious and cheapest available source. Others, again, have done 60 from sheer necessity, and with tho utmost reluctance. In either case they have mado tho acquaintance of new suppliers, and have at least temporarily severed old connections and established new ones. The leeway which will, have to be made up after the war before British manufacturers can got back oven tlieir normal pre-war sharo of the trade of the Dominion will be serious, and it behoves them to do all in their po.wer now to minimise this."

This is one of the after-war problems that concerns not only the British manufacturer but the whole Empire. It is certainly tho duty of British merchants and manufacturers to make the facts of tho position fully known to us. Our importers, should be supplied with all the available information as to the conditions which have interfered with the filling of their orders, and also, as suggested by Mb. Wickham, as to'tho reasons which have influenced tho heavy advance in prices. But ( so far as New Zealand is concerned, we have a responsibility of our own, an obligation which cannot be lightly passed over. Wo cannot ignore tho fact that whatever inconvenience our importers, and their customers may have becn x put to through the failure of British houses to meet their orders, there is not only a good and sufficient reason for this, but that reason is one which should call forth our grateful thanks and unstinted admiration. The failure of the British manufacturer to meet the business requirements of his overseas'customers has been due to the fact that he has been concentrating his energies on tho greater and vitally more important task of assisting to defend the liberties and, the fortunes of those customers. It is mainly due to the tremendous exertions of those who

control the workshops and the factories of Britain, together with those who work in them, that the guns and munitions so urgently needed for the Army and the Navy were forthcoming in time. Wc must not, in tho rush and scramble of business competition, overlook th« (act that the handicap under which tho British manufacturer is suffering to-day was incurred in the effort to ensure our national safoty. it is possible that tho foreign competitor may secure somo'hola on tho Now Zealand market owing to the absence of British-made goods, but it would be, <1 lasting reproach to us if our importers and their customers permitted such goods to displace those of -British manufacture when they become available. We have no doubt that matters will readjust themselves gradually after the war, but the more publicity that is given to the 'question now the better tho public will be ablo to appreciate the true merits of the situation.