BRITISH GOODS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3134, 12 July 1917, Page 6

BRITISH GOODS

THE EXHIBITION AT HAWERA

A USEFUL EXPERIMENT

Mr. H. W. Dalton, British Trade Commissioner, Ims •.•oturned from the Taraiiiiki district, where he directed the exhibition of British goods at the Hawera show. This exhibition has attracted a considerable amount of attention throughout New Zealand, and in conversation with u Dominion reporter yesterday Mr. Dalton foreshadowed further exhibitions of a similar character in other parts of tho country. "The display of British goods undoubtedly serves a useful purpose, and there is no reason why exhibitions of British-manufactured articles should not' bo held jointly with the agricultural shows in New Zealand," said Mr. Dalton. "The display at Hawera was experimental, and undoubtedly it was successful. It may be necessary at first to group the British goods under one general control, but 1 imagine that when the representatives of British firms realise the full value of the system they will make their own arrangements for exhibiting their samples. 1 would like to seo the British manufacturers making more use of the existing shows in various •parts of Now Zealand, and I have little doubt they will do so when they have become accustomed to the idea.

"The exhibition at Hawera was in tho nature of an experiment, and as such it was successful. The firms which exhibited appears to be well satisfied that such exhibitions will afford in normal times a very useful method of drawing attention to British goods, and it is not unlikely that after one or two such experiments it may be possible to arrange big exhibitions at frequent intervals in one of tho main centres of New Zealand. A very large exhibition-could be organised through the medium of the New Zealand agents of British manufacturers. There is no doubt whatever that exhibitions will form « very important part in the development schemes after tlie war, but in order to make the ventures successful it is necessary to secure the confidence of firms which are potential exhibitors. The success of the relatively small undertaking at Hawera will prepare the way for a display which will be really representative of British industries."

The value of exhibitions as a means of promoting trade within the Empire was emphasised in Ihe report of the Dominions Royal Commission. "We found a general feeling, not only in the United Kingdom, but dso in the Dominions, that inter-Imperial exhibitions were likely to have an increasing effect in promoting Imperial trade," stated the Commissioners. "We were told by the Permanent Secretary to the Hoard of Trade that, so far as" that Department could judge, British manufacturers/would welcome the opportunity of taking part in official or officially recognised exhibitions held in different parts of the British Empire. Such exhibitions, it was thought, should afford a valuable opportunity to British manufacturers of developing their trade in the growing markets of the Dominions."