Empire Trade Pioneer

Hokitika Guardian, 25 February 1922, Page 4

Empire Trade Pioneer

A DIRECTING MIND

i SERVICES TO THE PAPER INDUSTRY.

LONDON, Jan. 3

On his 50th birthday, Mr F. E. R. Becker (he had not then received tlije. honour of knighthood) was entertained at luncheon, and presented with a life-; i .size portrait of himself, in oils, paint.1 ed by Mr Tennyson Cole. The guests ' present were representative of very dei partment of the paper and allied indus- ! tries, including newspaper mien, pub-. ! Ushers, authors, and many others assoi c iated in more or less degree with the ; arts and crafts oT thfe publicity world. ’ Supporting Lord Burnham (chairman): ' were Lord Dalziel, Lord Ventry, Lord Morris, Mr Fred Terry, the Rev H. , Spicer, Sir F. Newnes, Sir Sail Caine, 1 Mr F. Faithfull-Begg, Sir G. Sutton,: Mr Robert Donald, Sir R. Baird, and others.

Lord Burnham described Mr Becker as an outstanding figure in the commercial life of the country, and a great and original force in the paper trade. It was being recognised now that there was nothing so requisite, in tile industrial state to-day as the virtues of leadership. Formerly it was assumed l.liat the “gospel of numbers” was all; that was necessary to ensure success. Perhaps it had been realised now that in the business of this country, there was nothing that counted fit all like die directing mind. He did not know what the industrial world would he today if it were not for the capitalists of' the type of Mr Becker. He had bram not only a captain of industry, but a maker of trade ; not only a leader in business but, in the real sense ol that latieh-abused term, “a pioneer oi Empire.” Buskin had said that a great merchant must he a great providei. Becker had been a great producer and a great provider lor their trade. The architect of his own fortunes, he bad built on an enormous ground-plan. During tbe first three years of its existence the company with which Mr Becker’s name was connected sold 13,000,000 tons of pulp, with orders on its books to tbe extent ol LI ,884,73 1, ; while, according to the latest accounts, with a working capital of £300,000, the turnover at the English office alone was £0,715,000. If the New York and Baris offices wore included, there was a turnover of £10,000,000. In a cieative time, when the conditions ol the paper trade had been revolutionised, Mr Becker had been himself a creator. When he started, the industry of woodpulp was in its infancy; he had seen it develop until it counted high among the staple industries of the world. Durum: the war .lie had played a national part of great, importance in maintaining the supply of paper, not only here but abroad, lie was one of the first tobe consulted by the Government as to (he means whereby it would lie possible I'm the essential industry of newspapers to lie carried on, while at considerable sa rifice and with unending vigilance and ingenuity lie later had secured also the supply lor Franco. It was recorded that he had stent £3,000,000 worth of wood-pulp abroad without one penny of profit for himself, or any token of reward. It, was a fortunate thing for them that they had a man of Mr Becker’s breadth of mind and keenness of insight at the very centre of the paper trade—-fortimale also for the Overseas Dominions. (Cheers). It- was Ire to him that Canadian pulp and or per had been to an increasing degree brought ovtcr here for British consumption, instead of being absorbed in tie United States. The more Mr Becker did the more would be the paper wealth of the British Empire. (Cheers). Mr Becker, in reply, said that fair, fat, and fifty—-< laughter)—he had climbed to the top ol the hill, but was not breathless. A serious duty lay still upon the business men of the country U(-day when the country was struggling to ller feet from the horrors of war, and when they were surrounded by all kinds of manipulations—those ol Governments trying to help trade, ol other Governments trying to manipulate gold, of Socialists trying to manipulate social standards, and to impress the working iliteii with all kinds of stu-

pidity and nonsense. In their trade they wore blessed by a sound and helpful working class. (Cheers). It was a proud thing" to say that in the British paper trade a strike was practically unknown. T-herte had always been dose co-operation between the men and their employers. ENGLISH RARER THE BEST. As Lord Burnham had remarked, there was never a time when personality counted for so much as it did today. There were many Riffioultios to he overcome. He (Mr Becker) was told he was an optimist. Of course he was. T!4ey had bold the paper trade of the world for generations and generations, and they would hold it in future. No cue could do with the materials they l ad what the English papermaker could do. There was no paper in the world to compare with English paper. Thefle was no market in the world that did not admit that English paper was the host. The time was past when the paper-mills need work at a loss. They had reached the turning-point in their affairs, and ihlb had hopes that very shortly they would be in such a position that* their trade would never again be held to ransom by the Scandinavians or by any other association. He thought the co-operative system would be in such a position that this country would be always able to depend on getting a very Jarge proportion of her supplies of raw material within the Empire. (Cheers). He called on the leaders of industry to face the future and to carry the heavy burdens which were necessary for a few years until the inevitable reestablishment should take place. By the decent combination of the esparto paper mills, which had long been dreamed of, it was hoped to effect vast economies in production, in keeping the mills fully geing by elaboration of the export trade. Similar combination would, he believed, become necessary in other directions. So long as selfishness, grasp, and greed, arid undue inflation were not behind these measures, none could be injured, and evteryone would be benefited, more particularly the class he held very dear—that of the man who worked in the British paper-mills, and who was one of the most dectent fellows breathing. (Cheers)'.