JAPAN'S TEXTILE TRADE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 43, 13 November 1937, Page 6

JAPAN'S TEXTILE TRADE

"Biggest Exporter"

THREAT TO OTHER NATIONS ■ "Japan is now the biggest exporter of textile piece-goods in the world. In t.he last 20 years her textile industry has gone ahead tremendously, and by competition she has threatened and will continue to threaten . other exporting nations in the world. What the oulcome will be nohody knows." This statement was made Dy an American, Mr. G. C. Urquhart, o.f Providence, Rhode Island, when he was jnterviewed in Christchurch. Mr. Urquhart is- connected with the sale of textile machinery, and . li"e makes repeated visits to Jdpan. . He was there ahortly before the outbreak of the present conflict with China. When he was asked to speak of the oonfiict, however, he explained that he bad to go back, and5 declined to comment. Japan was a country of very high aiins and ambitions and had made outstanding strides in industry, he said. She was exporting vast quantities of textiles to all parts of the world, and the pmoqce of.her.^ood of gqods was being set by politicai opposition in alinost every quarter- lt was impossible to foretell the outcome of this heavy exportation and competition. "Japanese mills have as up-to-date equipment now as any in the world," he added, "and these are able to produce at their tremendous rate because of the definitely^ efficient labour, and of the workmen's living conditions, and because of the efliciency of their modern machinery."