TRADE AND WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 123, 16 February 1918, Page 3

TRADE AND WAR

DEVELOPMENTS IN BRITAIN THE TRADE COMMISSIONER SERVICES ' Announcement was made a few days ago that Mr. It. W. Dalton, His Aiajesty's Trade Commissioner for New Zealand, had been reappointed to his present office. This news, v.-hich was welcomed by very many business people throughout New Zealand, is connected witli important developments that aie taking place in London. Last year the Imperial Government decided to constitute a new joint-Department of the Foreign Office and the Board of Trade for the more effective promotion of British trade in all parts of the world now and after the war. The new Department of Overseas Trade is now in existence. Its function is to focus in a single office the duties if collection and dissemination of information of all kinds which may he of service in the promotion of British trade. Tho new Department controls the Board of Trade's Tiade Commissioner servico throughout the Empire,, and also the Foreign Office's commercial attache service in foreign countries. Tho work of the Trade Commissioners, under the changed condition, will he more important than ever before, and the reappointment of Mr. Dalton is an official recognition of the valuable work that ho has been doing in this country. The 'Department of Overseas Trade will he the reservoir into which will flow from all quarters of the. globe and in increasing volume streams of intelligence, as the work of strengthening and expanding tho overseas services proceeds. The Trade Commissioner service, which has hitherto been restricted to the self-governing Dominions, will shortly cover in addition liidia and some of the principal Crown colonies; the number of comineroi.il attaches in foreign countries will be greatly increased, and ihe consular service is being strengthened; so as to facilitate its more active utilisation for commercial purposes. All these services are to enjoy a greatly improved status, and will have -wider opportunities of gaining information. Thpre should be no lack, therefore, in the Department of valuable information, especially when the restoration of pence has swept away the manv obstacles which now fetter trade. Equally important is the efficiency of the channels through which the multifarious items of information are redistributed among the commercial community.

"Much of the information is necessarily confidential, so that machinery is required which, while safeguarding the confidential nature of_ the intelligence. will not preclude its reaching freely those to whom it will be of interest and value m the prosecution nf their trade-" says the "Board of Trade JouVnal." Two main methods of distribution emerge. Tho first is by direct communication: between the British business community who havo inquiries to make relating to overseas trade and the. officers of the Department whose duty it is to reply to such inquiries. The second is by distribution on the initiative of the Department itself. "In order to facilitate av.d encouraae the address of inquiries to the Department, it has been organised into two main divisions, the Overseas Division and the United Kingdom Division, tho former being subdivided peogr«jphically by groups of industries. S. is the function, therefore, of particular officers to specialise in particular markets, and by drawing on the overseas services. and in other ways, it has been possible at the moment to secure for certain areas, such as Canada,. Latin America, the Near East, United States of America, and Russia, officers having persona! knowledge <jf +-ho countries with which they aro concerned. There .has been a marked increase of late years in the number of inquiries received in tho BasinghaM Street offices, but it is hoped tha.t,_ with the further facilities now provided, tho commercial community will consult the Department with still greater freedoiii in the future."

Additional opportunities for personal consultation in respect ,of overseas markets are to be afforded by the visits to the United Kingdom of Trade Commissioner and Commercial Attaches. It i 9 part of the functions of these officers to visit Great Britain from time to time ; and tours are arranged for them, in co-operation with the chambers of commerce, who have given generous and invaluable help, to ihe principal commercial and industrial centies of the United Kingdom, ihey are thus enabled to meet business men m personal interviews; to give addresses to chambers of commerce and other industrial and mercantile bodies; and to visit works and factories, where they can give advice as to the types of goods likely to be successful in their respective markets. The experience of the former Department of Commercial intelligence has shown that in the principal centres of the United Kingdom there has been a very general desire to seek the advice of these officers on their tours, and the system will become of increasing importance as the extensions of the overseas services progresses. The Department of Overseas Trade lias already undertaken the distribution of information on trade subjects. It is entering into confidential relations witli British firms and with chambers of commerce. Firms engaged in overseas trade may obtain information through tho chambers of commerce, tho federation of British industries, or one of the associations affiliated to the federation. ' All genuine British firms trading in British goods are eligible to receive the assistance that the Department offers. More confidential and moro secret is the Special Register, which is kept in the Department, for tho purpose of passing on to firms confidential intelligence. The intelligence supplied • through the Special -Register includes openings for trade abroad; reports 011 foreign competition; reports on various industries in countries overseas, and on general commercial and financial conditions. The early receipt of information is often of vital importance, and 111 such cases reports are cabled to tho Department. "As soon as possible after information is received it is passed to theso firms (says the "Board of Trade Journal"). The Department has a staff of officers, who classify these reports and present them in 'concise and readable form. They are then circulated to the traders interested. Where necessary the reports aro supplemented. by particulars of foreign buyers, import duties, shipping services, and any other item which has ail important bearing on the subject matter. "111 view of the importance of commercial development after the war, the Special Register is becoming of increasing value. Although owing to the war there may not at present be opportunities for trado in certain markets or certain classes of goods, information bearing on the future is steadily accumulating, and firms may deem it advisable to equip themselves now for future openings. Firms are therefore invited to write to the Department for application forms, 011 which they will enter the nature of their business, tho goods they handle or manufacture, the markets in which they are interested, and the channels through which their export trade is conducted —whether direct with overseas buyers or agents or through export houses or agents in this country. Firms are at liberty to enter their names for tlie receipt of information on as many trades as they wish. "It is hoped that theso methods of distributing information in the possession of the .Department will be utilised

as fully as possible % manufacturers alia merchants. Tiia Department proposes to (leal with commercial questions, not in an aloof and cryptic manner, but as a helpful partner deeply interested in the futwo of this country's trade activities." .