GERMANY’S BID FOR TRADE.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 November 1924, Page 3

GERMANY’S BID FOR TRADE.

GiiODS I.ANDF.I) IN A FSTR A 1.1 A. AIR WII.FORD’S ()BSFRNATIONS WELLINGTON. November 2-L ‘‘There is in doubt.” said Air \\ illord who has just returned from Australia, ‘‘that (I'ermany is t.:-d:iy making a hold hid for trade in Australia, for cii-gocs of German goods are | onl ine into the country. On Tuesday. November 11. for instance, at the Customs House. .Melbourne. duty was paid on I lit ditferent consignments. and of these 07" were •foreign.’ and no nation showed such variety of goods as Germ.my. Formerly pianos, ears amt toys made lip shipments. -so | was informed by a Customs ollieial. hut to-day they were competing against every Frirnpean lountry. Frame is laced with the question of reducin'' the cost (f perfume ami fancy goods, and Belgium is being hit severeIv in sales of gln-su a re.

“Talking with members of the business community I was informed that in cutlery and machinery the quality of Gorman goods was tolling it.s tale. The largest shipments recently from Germany to Victoria ('insisted of classware. cotton stockings. appaiel. cloves, dyes. perl times. fa i lev coeds, cutlery and cameras, and the pi ices al which these goods are being sold is a serious menace to Fnropeaii eompetition. On asking whether these Hoods were being brought in German vessels I was informed that British. Dutch and American shipping companies have entered into keen competition for German

TRADE WITH THE EAST. “On 1.1 1 • > pi.at. office in Elizabeth Street. .Melbourne. I read a Gnvcrnliicnt nolice oll'i ring J’ lOf 1 Kinds, bearing interest at per cciil. fm £9B. while in the daily papers advertiscnmnls offering fit per cent for municipal bonds could be seen, and this while the exchange rate with London i.s operating so adversely. (a Using set ions trouble to producers, win sc goods and produce have to ho sent abroad. Trade with the East and the problem of dealing with the exchange rate -with two-ways freights is being bandied vigorously today in Australia. A company. in which big financial concerns are taking shares, is being formed with a capital of one million pounds to get a share ol the trade cf China, Japan, Singapore, the Malay States, and the Dutch East Indies. “[ am indebted to Air Stirling Taylor. dire: tor of tin* Commercial and Industrial Bureau of the Board ol 'I mile .Melbourne, for some figures, which should give Australia and New Zealand food for thought and also, I hope, for action, lie lias supplied me with sonic interesting laldcs. I wall quote a few items, taking some of the gross imports of certain articles into China (not Hong Kong) during recent years. In woollen bankets and rugs for l!'2d China took 500.lfiOlb. Of this amount Australia and New Zealand supplied 10281 b. In woollen coatings and suitings ill 1923 China teak 3.297.898 yaalx and Australia and New Zealand 1 rovided none ol this. Hi woollen llaunel China took 310.920 yards. Australia and New Zealand supplying none of that quota. Of bran China took 2.891.■197 piculs (a picul is 133 1 -31b*. Australia and New Zealand provided eight piculs. Tn flour China took 5.330.888 piculs, Australia and New Zealand supplying 101.511 piculs. Hi hides and skins China took 38.172 piculs. Australia and New Zealand supplying none. In honey China took 2152 piculs. Australia aial New Zealand supplying five piculs. In condensed milk China took 2.02 1.092 llaikwnn taels (a llaikwnn tael in 1923 was 3s s> : jd) and Australia a nd New Zealand supplied 1-L835 llaikwan taels. In soap China took 2.890.053 Haikwall taels. Australia and Now Zealand supplying 339 llaikwnn taels. “These are n few cf the articles I have picked out. The new company I have spoken of is exploiting the markets of the East and proposes bringing back in its own ships timbers ol all kinds from Borneo, which can bo landed in Autralia from 10* to 20s per hundred feet super. T have scon thenwhite w-ood for butter boxes, beautiful odourless timber and their hardwoods. I have brought hack also a com pa rati me statement of imports into I.litis i Malaya. \ am more than ever convinced that trade with the East ■ * second only in importance to trade with the British Empire, and T luipie our producers will get. into touch with Australia and join that country in exploiting the market, whi.h is so dose at hand. Tt may interest our beef growers to know that one older «. 12 900 toils of beef (frozen) recently reached New South AYales from Japan.