OVERSEAS TRADE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 35, 5 November 1919, Page 10

OVERSEAS TRADE

EMISSARY FROM BRITISH MANUFACTURERS

STUDYING POST-WAR CONDITIONS Major R. E. Goddard, representing the Association of British Motor and Allied Manufacturers, Ltd., who has credentials from the Overseas Trade Department of the Jlriitsli Government, is at present a visitor to Wellington, and yesterday afternoon accorded, an interview to a Dominion representative. Initially it should ho made clear that there is a determined attempt on the part of tlio British manufacturer to not only win back the overseas trade which may have drifted during tlio war period, but, by pursuing new forward methods, to greatly increase that trade. "With that object in view certain representative commercial emissaries are heing dispatched to the outposts of tlio Empire to Ikcoiiio seized of the position, which may have altered considerably during the five years of war, to interview commercial bodies and corporations, importers, and retailers, and make themselves conversant with conditions as they exist to-day, and to report as to what measures are best calculated to meet those conditions in the future. Major Goddard, who has had a varied experience, was selected to represent the motor and allied interests, hut though that is. his speciality, he is a trade envoy in the broadest sense. He speaks for liritish trado in terms of unequivocal optimism, and says that it is only a matter of a little time and the balance will he readjusted with satisfaction to every Britisher. America's Innings. Having recently arrived from Indin (where ho resided at ono time for four vea'-s) he at once became seized ot tlic way America had been able to pursue her commercial destiny. Even whilst that country was crying out for moie bottoms, and England was straining her every nerve to give her sups with which to repatriate American .troops, sho nas doing a fine overseas business in her ov,,i bottoms, catering well &r the Eastern markets at n time when England was ™ uto unable to think of-overseas trade The visitor said . that he had found in Australia and INCW 7eaCd-as far as the motor busmen wa,conccrned-tl.«t it was not so much An W aptitude for producing the mmls required in those Dominions, as .it conditions hero and in 1, homo trade, 7«.t America's homo d requirements happened to bo the nArcst to what was wanted .htie, so hey tore able to do an extensive- trade many parte of tlio British ■Empire. ?; "an io vever, was on the alert, and fu h realised that to hold the trade of a count t had to give th«it countr> what it wanted. So they would find that EnMand who must have our primal y mod *; would be able to pay *«n wit goods of precisely tlio charadei rcnuired. The war had broadened the Sm of the British manufaetnror|L It had brought them in contact with man) mJu from overseas with their flnwrs on the pulso of these markets, and they were convinced beyond all doubt that toy could givo the required quul pro quo for produce in required good,, i.the ban that wo should nay gold for them to a foreign country, i» ™ te * h !i (hat country might be. In the case of tho United kites of America did not depend on its exports, a continual "Heard for free trade wOh our Empire, whilst they penalised Brit»h £K'lo the tune of 45 per cent Ihnl very fact should win adherents to a policy of trade within the Empire. "Why should America claim 1 ree hade, with our port,," said bodda d "whilst charging a Hi per cent, duty on all Englisli goods imported into the K? I do not say that Bn ishcrs■»t Englanders-are wholly . altruistic, but i do believe that, consiaenn* a 1 tISU. thev aro a great deal more nlistic than the Americans in their gencial o, 100 There are good men-some of them sick men-holding positions in Inwork more for the spirit behind, U «r ideal of Empire tlmtufor any salary they Sr Wand in tike far-iU corner of theEnipire, where such men aro puiMiin- their "deal. America has been able to rade freely, and we hsivo given her ojfic 1 p o cMon to make that possible "Now the war is.over and we are for -the present 'up against it.' it is the duty of all parts of the Empire to pull toother, and tho education that our manufacturers have' teen given during the ur pe • od-T ean speak for the motor and steel businesses-will, I am sure enable the Dominions to get exactly what thev want, and possibly on more satisfactory terms than aro obtainable elsewhere. British Standardisation. "We hope soon to be producing standardised cars at a moderate price, say, JMSO to .£SOO, giving greater ihorse-powvr than similar makes at present) favoured hero. I hope that the new standardised British cars will bo on tho market here within a few month*, say six months. Tndeed, there- aro a dozen of them (1313 model) already on show at present at the Chrislchurch Industrial Exhibition. The intention is to establish depots in each centre, whero parts will ho always readily obtainable. This should do away with the reproach that parts for Eng-lish-made cars are always so difficult to obtain." 0 . Referring to the high prices which Brave been realised for cars at Home, Major Goddard explained that the position was a peculiar one. Since the armistice manufacturers had not really been delivering, but. had been preparing for the resumption of ordinary trade. This meant an acute shortage, so that people with wesentablc second-hand cars wore able to put tihem on the market and get as much or more for them than a new car would normally cost. The motor-car business in England was much akin to the house business in Wellington, whero a shortage had forced the prices up bevond all reason. Major Goddard was of tho studied opinion that there was a great future hero for tho commercial vehicle—the modified vehicle-which could pull, a trailer, carrv substantial loads, or. with a pullev attachment, be used for sawni'i wood, threshing grain, or ploughing with a steel rone and drum. This method of ploughing had come into tol'iip in England as the result of the mobile iiower afforded bv the motor, and be believed it would become popular in v«- Zealand where the countrr. suited. The TCritish-bnill commercial vehicle had nrmvd during Ihn uar that it could stand un Io nil kinds of rough usaee. nn?i. it. was gninc tn be a gwl factor in ronimerc" tV world over. Tn manv cases the eha'°is of the motor-buses in America an> British, hprause thev more reliable under a ste-idv dnil.v strain, and need less repairs than their own chassis.

Not Afraid of the Future. "We are not a bit afraid of the, future," >=aid Major Goddard, "we only havo to bo true to ourselves as Britishers, and thai: should not be diflicult alter the tine show we nil put up 'over the way.' lam being constantly reminded in' New Zealand of how little separate* our small roiul and street and yours. It. Is all so English here—so essontialb British! As I eamo along through the country 1 could not help noticing that every house, every hut or cottage, had lis own garden. It was a small thing, but ever so significant, for wherever tlio .Britisher goes he makes a garden! I don't think I have seon anythinsr so pretty aa the lay-out of Palmerston North. It and other places in New Zealand, and the people in them, reminded mo of England twenty years ago when filings were going so very well. Pnlmorstoii North is built on the lines of the modern garrison town in India. with the square in the centre, and tho town radiating out evenly in all directions. That is done in Tndia so that in | ease of any native trouble the business centre can' conveniently be transformed into a fort."