CALL TO PRODUCERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 284, 27 August 1919, Page 7

CALL TO PRODUCERS

' TRADE EIVALKY IN THE AEGENj TINE. '■ Australian producers should bo oon- , ' 1 siderably alarmed, according to Mr. H. P. ' Williams (managing editor of tho • "Land"), who reached S/dnoy by tho ' Makura recently, at-the apathy previiil- ■ ing in Australia, by comparison with ; (.Vumdn, Argentine, and .tho United States 1 of America in regard to overseas trade, • says the Sydney "Daily Telegraph." Mr, • Williams went abroad some six months : ago to look into the question of the nmri keting and financing of primary products ; in tht) lisjlit of after-war conditions. Immediately' tho armistice was signed, i says Mr. Williams, the threo countries mentioned sent financial and trade conii missions to Europe, to arrange credits and pick up the trade stopped by war conditions. "While in Ottawa the Minister of Agriculture showed me sales totalling over .£54,000,000 made by the agricultural section of the trade commission in less than, four months. , ( Australia, , so far, appears' to be; leaving everything to chance. Our overseas representation, to his mind, is upon wrong lines. The day has-arrived for cutting out the ambassadorial business and getting right'down to salesmanship. Our products aro wanted, and America and Canada can absorb all we can send them. Buttor, meat, jam, and certain .fruits aro now luxuries, and the poorer families have to cut them out of everyday'use. With a plentiful supply ' (from Australia they would bo within tho roach of all classes, and wo' , should receive prices far in' advance of what the , European markets offered us before the war. Wool, 'lidcs, and fats are also in great demand. lir. Williams contends that Australia is still absolutely unknown in America. He' met numbers of large merchants who did not know where-Australia was, ami many .who knew of our existence on the map did not know we had anything to sell. He visited 81 towns in America, and al-, though seeking Australian news in each place at the public libraries, mot with hardly any success. Tho daily papers in Canada a.nd tho United States, lie says, give no Australian news. On the other j hand, Argentine was steadily campaigning in Canada and the United States. Slio has travelling salesmen and publicity useuls at work. Americans and Canadians were taught that the' American -14upublic had a pull over all other primary producing countries on tiie ground of distance to the North Americaji markets. But this was untrue. The Argentine had been getting wonderful prices in th?so markets and was steadily working even our wools out of the Boston trade. Tn the great financial struggle Australia could play a big part, and by selling produce to tho States at a-considerable advantage to ourselves, we could, at the same time, accumulate credits which would help Britain to meet her interest bill in America. It was the general impression in America that high prices would remain for some years. The Allied nations couid not afford to allow a slump until their huge debts' and extended credits wore reduced. Astonishment had been expressed in some quarters at the U.S.A. continuing the guarantee of 9s. 2d. a bushel! on wheat for another two seaeons, but the financiers in that country were fully awake to tho fact- that tho success of America's financial schemes was based upon high values for primary products. She meant to make the rest of the world realise &is, too. The farmers were playing a big part in politics both in Canada and the United States. In the Houso of Commons they had a good representation, and were contesting forty-three country seats at the ' elections early next year. Iu the United States they recently showed their strength in forcing the hand of both Federal Houses to wipe out the Daylight Saving Bill, although all'the big city interests were for its continuation. The farmers were about the most prosperous olasa in America to-day, barring the profiteer, who had made fabulous wealth out of both producer and consumer.