BRITAIN’S GRIP.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 February 1920, Page 3

BRITAIN’S GRIP.

FIGHT FOR WORLD TRADE.

AFTER-WAR CONDITIONS HIGH PRICE'S AND WORK.

Mr H. D. Robertson, of Auckland, who recently returned to New Zealand after a twelve months’ trip to Canada, the United States and Europe, told a ..“Lyttelton Times” reporter that Great Britain has still a strong hold upon the trade of the world, in spite of the five years of war. “The prestige of the British Empire is greater than ever it was before,” said Mr Robertson, “and everything points to a prosperous future. Purchasers are prepared to pay for the British-made goods whenever they can be got. It is not a question of price, hut of getting supplies. j Statements are repeatedly made to the effect that the United States is out to capture the trade of the world, but, from what I saw and learned while over; there*, American manufacturers are overstocked with orders for home consumption, and will not be able to divert extra energies to outside markets.” I

THE COST OF LIVING New Zealand and Australia have* nothing to complain about in Tegard to the standard of living, said Mr Robertson. Southern people, by comparison, had very much, the best of it in regard to both the quantity and the quality of the food available. A meal that would in New Zealand cost about 2s 6d would mean in America an expenditure of anything from 5s to 7s6d. In England th’ere was no butter; nothing hut margarine. Sugar was ra-

tioned, and it was often doubtful whether the householder. or the hotel guest got his proper share of that. In Scandinavia there was a splendid selection of food, but the prices were amazingly high. To tstum conditions up, there was not the slightest doubt that

the rank and file in New Zealand were infinitely better off than the workers in any of the countries he had visited. All over the .world increasing stress was being laid on the high cost of living, and it was recognised that the most important factor lay in the difficulties of transport, with which the workers themselves were intimately concerned; British people, of course, had a good excuse; they were still war-weary and stale. But unless freedom of movement in transport was obtained, shortages of necessary commodities were bound to continue in various places, with the usual effect on the cost of

living. It was often \the case, for instance, that with a large consignment awaiting unloading at Plymouth, the people of London would he seriously’ in. convenienced through lack of the lieldup supplies. The whole tendency in practically every country was to free trade ;from the sha'eklcs of control. That would be followed, no doubt, by higher prices temporarily, but it was

bound to' prove best for everyone in the long run. BELGIUM ’ S EXAMPLE. The advice of'a leading Allied statesman, “Produce more and eat less,” bad nowhere been more widely adopted than in Belgium, which was almost certain to be the first of the belligerents to get hack to normal conditions. A large proportion of Belgium’s population had remained throughout the German occupation, the majority of the refugees had returned, and now the whole country was making a determined effort to wiq hack former prosperity. Machinery taken away by the Huns had been returned, and flip coal mines were actually producing j up to 80 per cent of the pre-war output. Hint meant that Belgian manufacturers were able to get coal to carry on their industries at prices reasonable enough to allow them to compete very favourably with traders in other countries. (Brussels was the gayest jcapit.a.l in Europe, and Antwerp was making a formidable fight, despite German opposition, to recover its importance a s a shipping centre. In Ostond the travellers were shown the huge gun, which had thrown a shell forty-six miles into Dunkirk. On the sand dunes along the coast they saw the remains of the Hun batteries, every 7 second one a dummy, that had attempted to stop the advance of the Allies left wing. THE ENERGIES „OF FRANCE.

1 -in a i uiiic i/ii l" jsiiituuH ur cue was less noticeable than in England. Paris ; was lively and tremendous interest centred on a huge motor exhibition, at which 100,000 people were attending daily. The manufacture of French cars j was being pushed again with remark- ; able energy, and attention was being ; paid to standardisation. One firm were then turning out forty-five cars a day, ; and their objective was 145 a day, which they had great hopes of attaining by the end of 1919. Air Robertson form- j ed the opinion that French motor-cars ‘ would be available for export within a very short time. I Tho re-settlement of devastated re- J gions in Northern, France was going ahead very rapidly, and a great deal of clearing-up work had been acconi- , plislied by 60,000 Polos, under the direction of able engineers. The places where New Zealand troops bad fought were still wastes of mud and shell-holes, and it did not look as if they were to bo pub under cultivation for some time. • AMERICA’S HANDICAP. | Tho colossal shipbuilding schemes of the United States did not strike Mr Robertson as being likely to bring about radical changes in the world’s sea commerce. It was one thing to decide to build shins and quite another to do it.

For one tiling, it, was not possible ro create an army of shipbuilders in a few months. An American gentleman ( who bad a great deal to do with oigaiiising shipbuilding during the war stated that one British shipwright was equal to five of the class of men he had under him. Millions of dollars liad already been wasted on the scheme, and now part of it was being abandoned. Even bad all the ships been built, there would still be the problem of manning them. Very few American born citizens were going to follow the sea, and, even if Scandinavians and other foreigners were prepared to sign on, it hardly followed that they would be prepared to. stand by America in time of war. At the present time the rate of exchange was very much against America in tin. way of trade.. The position was tliaf a merchant in Great Britain had to spend approximately 30s to get one pound’s worth of goods. From an Empire point of view, Mi* Robertson

thought the rate of exchange rather a beneficial factor at the present time—it was keeping trade in our own hands. Canada was certainly getting a better chance, and now the Government, in conjunction with the C.P.It. was instituting a new steamship service between Auckland, Vancouver and Sydney. For this service four 8000 ton steamers were to be available. Canada too, was making a definite advance in the matter of hydro-electrical powerj which was providing inexhaustible opportunities of developing the country. The labour problems in the United States were causing deep anxiety. Strikes were continually 7 occurring and there seemed no chance of industrial peace. The foreign o'omont among the workers had no stability and were easily stirred up. The United States, in fact ,was not a nation but a group of mixed nationalities, with no great regard for their country. Politically 7 , the Democratic Party was losing ground and was not likely to go back to power.