A SUCCESSFUL TRADE MISSION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 286, 22 August 1918, Page 4

A SUCCESSFUL TRADE MISSION

The warm tribute paid yesterday afternoon at a,_ representative gathering of business men to the work done by Mr,. R. W. Dalton, H.M. Trade Commissioner in New Zealand, was well-deserved. Mr. Dalton has been two and a half years in New Zealand, and during' that tinrc has done much to promote British trade in the Dominion. He has also made many personal friends, who will regret his temporary absence from thd Dominion. He has made the fullest use of his opportunities for removing prejudices and breaking down barriers which impede the free flow of trade from Britain and New Zealand. Britain is our best customer. She buys nearly all our produce, and it is only natural that we should purchase British manufactures in preference to those of foreign countries. But misunderstandings arise from time to time. The complaint is often made that the British manufacturers arc too conservative; that they arc slow to change their methods to suit our requirements; that they are not as pushing as some,of their competitors; that they do not try to understand our special needs. Mn. Dalton has made himself fully acquainted with these and other similar complaints, and has carefully studied trade conditions in New Zealand. He has been able to explain the point of view of our business men to the British manufacturers, aad to give us an insight into the difficulties which nave to bo overcome by British firms doing' business in this country. In this way Mk. Dalton has been of real service to the Empire. The war has emphasised the need for a self : reliant and self-suffi-cient Empire, 'and Mr. Dalton has done something to hasten the realisation of this ideal. He has laid foundations on which others will build. The States of the British •Empire are bound together by spiritual ties which cannot be broken; but the commercial bonds are'also of great and growing importance.! The need for organising the Empire's trade and directing it into the right channels was never more urgent than now. Those who arc in a position to .pronounce judgment tell us that Mr. Dalton has helped materially to brighten tho prospects of trade between New Zealand and the Motherland, and that the work he has done cannot fail to bear good fruit in years to come. Mr. Dalton has the satisfaction of knowing that his mission has been highly appreciated both by the business community and the Government of New Zealand, and as oho result of his personal observations and inquiries he will bo in a position to place before the Imperial authorities and the British manufacturers a great deal of valuable first-hand information, regarding the special requirements of the New Zealand market.