TRADE PROSPECTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 223, 14 June 1919, Page 9

TRADE PROSPECTS

OPINIONS FROM LEADING MEN

THE GREAT "IF" I

In, view of .the impending-liberation-of trade from!most of tho war restrictions, "The' Observer" (London) recently inyited.some,'opinions from' leading figures in-'the commercial world" as' , " to-prospects Vnbw that, business:is about to make <a. fresh start. Tho following replies wcxe received:— ' ■''■' ' '•'■' ,: ■ ....

Sir' Robert Hadfield/pasfc president ot tho, Iron and Steel Instituterchairmau of the' Ferrous; Section" 'of..the Advisory Council for Scientific and Industrial Kesearch, member of the' Munitions Inventions ißoard', , Marine' -Engineering mittee; Senate of, Sheffield University, and carious, scientific' and industrial institute, etc.:-'"''. ■■'■•■ '■■•• '-■'■■■ ■' ... : -"

■ ; "I am' no'prophet,' but.-' if employers an'd employed , .can learn to pull together for'their mutual interests the future is . in every way assured. "■' There must, however, be> concessions on both sides : GenBra (conditions, wa'ges, hours, of labour, "-'and Environment must, be vastly, improved from what they have been in the •.last twenty years." Some employers ,seem : ■ to maintain'that workers must still, be ; •'content with disgraceful surroundings, -.rwhereasa higher.standard, of life Js'noy ■'required, and no.reasonable man can object to their having it. '. lain not one of '~ those' who is. always .preaching .'produc-.. j tion, more production.' My feeling is thet ~' tho British.workman.di(vmg the war has , ' done his level .best'aiid : .has been the lagans, of winning.it'. After the ehbnh'ous jir'essiiroputiipon him.for the last> four' - rears it isnotibbo expected,'that he can- .. listen cheerfully, "to- , this .cry of". .'more " production."' It : ...would.appa.l the lieartof ,' thestoutest. , On-the other hand, I wouli) ; .]ike the employee to take .a sane v.tov : of the situation, and 1 feel that if properly, handled..he., will, .and that hq wilt give .-a, fair-, dip's" work. for. a, fair days : Wage." '.i '". ... ' '",■ SLlv- John. Ullerroan, . the , well-kn6wn steamship owner':— ; .;. .;. ; ".", ', . : "\Vhen-trade is.nnally .liberated -fnf !' restrictions',,there will^o'.great actiTitj -in" those" if a'dea ■:. which, .are. supplying ■ urgent <eucli .as shipbuilding, building, 'engineering, and other emilar trades; but so long as there is tht present- delay in cables nierch'ajitfl : Will experience difficulty in carrying on business "transactions. There wilt be no ■ possibility of -great' commercial actinty ■ 'iintil tb.isis rectified and until thelabout 'unrest lias ceased. If tho-rate of wage* 'and cost of coal and steel'are unduly in- , creased beyond the possibility of competi- • tion"w-ith" America', then trade', in my ■'■ opinion, -will react instead of improve, and therq'-will bo grave ■unemployment, ■ \\'ith tihe'pi'esent labour -uncertainty in«r.cliants' are afraid to place orders in' thy " cpiintryy-iind'. America- is. going ahead in Uier export trade in all directions." - .' Sir- Kicliard , V'assar-ymitli, chairman • -of Lloyd's Bank, Ltd., and various finnn r < cial a'tid ; industrial .companies:—: ; '. '.'... ,:'".l'he.labour question being.settled upon a" permanent and fair ■ basis" • both.,with vj'ogard "to.eiiiploycrs .and:' employed,..l .consider the. prospecti of liuaiiiess to be ,vp'ry .favo.urabic." ''' ".'■. ■ "• j . ".,.,"..'" 1 ~..;Sir Woodman' JJurbidge; managing di- ■' rector of Ilarro'd's .Ltd., and member ol .the/Miius'tiy, of,iliinitions .Staff liiyeitlfgatjon .Committee and Stores Purchases Advisory Committee:—'" -'.'; .','',, • "In my opinion trade is going to '.be ' wonderfully gpod. Liberation oi' business V froin- war:-restrictions means the .revival and'developmentio[ heajthy" competition among comuiercial houses, with inevitable easing : of. prices,, and greater freedom of > purchasing among, the public in couiiequence." ' ' ■ . -Ur. Gordon'Selfridge, of Selfridgo's U»parlmcnt Stores.:— . ■..-. "'-"If. with tho signing, of peace- cornea also quickly \ relief from Governmental control of- different departments of busilic&s, then I think w« can look t'onriinl ,'tp' jinmcdia.te und wonderful; industrial . .activity. Business 'caii.be made :es|,;.of all gaiiißs;, and'we as players of" ■that game;will do our utmost to give it thu zest and 'enthusiasm which, earnest, \ fair, but'keenest competition always prodeuces.;, Let the entire country, then, cul- : ifvate 'the. lpve of resiiltful 'work, oi iinagination aiid'bf world ,: thinking;..and,.let ' iis prove that we , bando business as.ag- ' jiressivcly' ; aiid-'iis ''effectively uis we "c»ui 'light." •■"■ : - ■'-<-■■ -r-.-y ■•■:., I .. ... 1 "Sir Charles Macara, one .of the most. ■ influential' ami prominent- figures in the . cotton industry:— ■ ..

■ "The sooner a just-..peace is declared lim ..-sooner will i the /many difficulties, now ox- . perienced in carrying on. our industries. ■ bo .overcome, liven with this, i'owevei , , .skilful and expy-ieuced"management -,vili be more necessary than ever iu order , that we may be prepared to take adyau- , tageloi' the" vast commercial''opportunities which will present themselves. !ljo tar as ..the cotton industry is. concerned, the abandonment of control of .its pi educing power is having disastrous results',! m•■specially lit.n time when the restrictions ; * iia regards exports are stilj .iargejy main- ': tinned. 'In nonimmunes cotton trade exports representtliree-fjuarters of the total • production of the. industry." ■I-'., president,, Manchester Chamber of, •Commerce:—.,i. ; ■ -..; -.. '

.'-''As sooa : as the i\yir .restrictions are withdrawn and the.present administration difficulties .lvhicli ar.c. impeding trade. .iii;c removed, .there - is' every, probability, in my opinion;: of a healthy'resumption of, business. The big ' jiiarkets' of the -•world cannot be fully" stocked in:.view, of the lessened . production; during ilie ivar, period. . Consequently;' when* couli-. deuce has .been .restored-by the levcl'ling of values to' something- nearer a n'or•iniil basis,' 'and a reduction in. freight .rates takes-place/;is the military- eujjen-. .ties decline, 'it' is almost certain that long-delayed buying to replenish stocks. 'will-begin;'"The , production' in the Lancashire cotton trade has-had to be severely restricted during the last eighteen months by ' the- Cotton ■ Control Board, owing'to the difficulty, of shipping sufficient -raw-materials to this tounlry,' as the ships .which should, in ordinary .eir-cumstani-es: have - brought■ raw cotton from America for..- tliu-.jjiills of, Lancaeriirq had to bring instead troops and munitions to. "win- the .war, and Lancashire- readily accepted the position. When it.is remembered that- out of tho lessened output, a large -percentage has' .been,absorbed for war .demands,'the'balance' cannot" hiive satisfied tho foreign markets.'.l. believe,that in the near fii!tiire the-textile- trade is certain'to got its fiill'shnre of the trade revival which must- follow tho withdrawal uf the 'liar--•a-«iiijrtra'do'-restrictions." :. ' • ■

President,.-'Birmingham '■ Cha'inber of C'omnie)'ce:—:'"" ■■'■ ..'■•■ ■ ■ "' : "The , business rprospccls: lit present , are very upccrUru,- ov. - ing-to the' unsettled industrial position,: the? unsatisfactory conditions" of' transport:. services, the .high' 'prices l of>; rnw; materials, and oilier circHmsitnncM.'sucli'asrdriiin o)i capital (■aiised' by'-the*' excess profits duty,.Thero is an enormous favourable"prices."'---,'■■'■' ■ -.-. - ; •

Chairman, Liverpool" Chamber of Commerce:— ' ' ■ ..■■■■ ..-. .. ■

. "The revival of trade and a return-, to 'normal irorirlUibne'.are- hampered by- 'the deficiency of 'tonnage, "1-li'c difficulty of . Mi:hange,'-iind the fear Hint holders' stocks', may-suffer tbrougV'ii general do-, cliiip in'prices. Thero .is! also die innbilily of lnuhy coijntrics—and-Ihese. the most, iiei'e?sjlous—to pay for . their requiremenls by exports'; circu'mstnnceawhich are overlooked by Ibofn who alilicjpalcd n very iiclivc' 'Iratio immediately after the war." '