SPEECH BY MR MASSEY

Hokitika Guardian, 30 November 1923, Page 4

SPEECH BY MR MASSEY

PATRIOTISM IN TRADE

The fit. i lon. \Y. F. Massey (Prime Minister of New Zealand], in responding to n toast "The Empire Oversells’’ in. tie- London Chamber ol Cotnmeree. siiitl he hill not feel like u stranger in I .cm bn], lie hiul been there -o often <m Kinjriio matters as the representa - tj vf . o! New Zealand that ho Jolt, almost at home, and, ns a matter of I,mt, when people ol New Zealand i nine on a vi-it to England they always ijv>|,e of it a.- mming home. London wa . indeed, till' Meeea of their people over.,.as. L-efore proceeding further he would like to tell them one or two fuels about New Zealand. To-day they wore generating hydro-electricity from the bountiful rivers which existed in almost every portion of the couniry. In a comparatively short time all dwellings and htisiness places would he lighted with electricity, and motor power would lie provided for business enterprises. There was another feature about New Zealand worth iiientiuiiing. Of iior population nearly 98 per cent were British—that was, they were horn within the boundaries of the British Knipire. As further evidence of the progress made, there had been completed within the last few weeks the longest tunnel in the British Empire, which he had the honour of opening just before leaving the Dominion. This tunnel pierced the Southern Alps of Now Zealand, and connected the cast and west coasts of the South Island. The length of the tunnel was five and one-third miles. It had been constructed mostly during tin' war period, and all the appliances, electrical and otherwise, had been purchased from Britain. (Cheers).

Coming to the important question of trade, Mr Massey staled that New Zealand’s exports during their lasi producing year amounted to -17 millions sterling, while their imports amounted to II millions. So far as trade with Britain was eoncerned, by their Customs tariff they gave prefer once to Britain and British countries. A commencement had boon made in this way just L’U years ago, when proierence had been granted upon TP items. In 1907 the number had been increased Imm .T s to 199; in 1917 the number had been increased to ‘JI Q . and in 1991 it had been still further increased to I'Jo, so that they practically granted :m all-round preference 0, Britain upon goods imported from that country. Other facts mentioned by Mr Massey were that of machinery imported into New Zealand last your, 7 ! > per rent mine from Britain ; of metal iiumiilnoi tires, S’(> per cent etui)" from Britain; of apparel, 70 per cent; of textiles, s] p cr ; of fibres, lift per rent ; of tobacco. SO per cent ; and ol leWeilerv. (lie per cent. Of |he total New Zealand imports for 1991-99, 7-1 per cent were from British countries. Those ligures -poke for l homselvo.-,.

and they showed ihat where it - w possile, do business v, ith Britain other conn try had a look in. would like to -ay they were willing go l ui tiler. as far as opport tin

in ihe sy-deiti of prelerouce, althou hr admitted that theie were nth wav., than Customs tariff., in ulii preference could h,- given. lie was

opinion Him they had arrived at tin stage when one country of the Empire ought to assist every other country, lie believed they could he iiist- as pat’iotie in matters oi trade and eomU'rrte as in anv other wav.

Referring to the pi e-ent position of trade and inmnicieo and industrial mail-.-ns in England. the opinion had 1,1 B’li been expressed to him since his arrival that in this re,spent matters Were very far from s.itisl'tieioty. They laid got to look round for the lemedy. Ih would just like to ask business men Ibis 111 iesttoii wa'- the present evstem the ino - L s;;t: staetory that could be adopted for the |n,rpr>;e of developing

the newer > oiiut; i< , e| (lie I,'uipi I.’ and •!is,-f|neii l l•- ill,, trade of Great fbii.ain.' lie did not. lind foil 1 1. with (oval lirifain il she loiind the opport unit)' of trading with other countfir's, fp,- all mean- let h i lake advantage oi everv

opport unity that lann': but thee 1.-.-n within the bnimdai'ies ol ihe Elupir. io'linl t ies wliieli to a v'li great ext. it V ere undeveloped, and the population.- o V.hieh were wry sparse.-land-, whirl would carry in years to earns very 1 rg< pi.|.iilalions, and v.hieh would with vein lit Me eiieeiirageiir. il!. produce pra-ti alb all the lood-tnjis wliieli (treat Biitain re qniretl. Vi hat was luippening lemindei bin: in a fa.niiei who allowed part ol bis land io remain unruUiv.dcd whil'. lie was buying bis '-111 plies for hi.- household irom his migliboiirs. That sold m tiling was not gued bu-ines and

ought not In Ip allowed to go on. if> knew n certain class of people toM them Unit enterprise was (load, lint Ith experience was that il, was nothing of Uie sort. fn ili,- oversells countries :iin! il, T?j-i till I! itself tiler, - were t|,o„. sr:nds of young felloes willing to risk their lives on land or sen. if hv so doing they eon Id improve their position in life or hem-lit directly or indirectly the country to which they belonged. There were as many opportunities for these enterprising people as ever. The opportunities had to he looked for chiefly in the countries of the Empire overseas, and .not at home. So far as Government purchases were concerned (and lie might remind them that in New Zealand the- State-owned the railways), practically all the rolling stock and supplies for their railway icrptiromenrs were purchased in Great Britain. The same applied in respect of their hydro-electric .appliances, which "'ere purchased in this country, and they gave Britain. the preference wherever possible. The representatives of tli Overseas noniinfans were not there to dictate to Great Britainvery far from it hut, they wished to remind them that they were entitled to a j pielerence over those countries not in- I eluded ill the Empire, and who did no more business with Britain than they * eiild pos-ihly help, and very often set up hostile tariffs against Britain and themselves, ft,- had made it clear that their Empire could lie made self-sup-porting. ffe did not say self-contained because lie did not think it was quite a desirable term: hut they could produce- everything in the Empire that was required tor the benefit and sustenance of their citizens. Why should they not do itE By such an arrangement they in the Mother Country found markets

for their manufactures, and the Dominions and Colonics, on the other hand, provided the food and raw material which they required. Another matter which was urgently required, and would cost them nothing, and ought to he seen to in justice to themselves and the Dominions, was that when goods came from overseas to be su'd in the English markets, whatever they might lie—meat, dairy produce, v.ool. or anything else -they ought to be marked with the country of origin. At any rate, the least that should he done was that they should he marked as "Foreign floods'’, or ns '‘Within the Empire. ’’ It was a little thing to ask. and there should be no difficulty in gianting it. (Cheers.)