WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 September 1928, Page 4

WELLINGTON NEWS

EMPIRE MARKETING BOARD.

(Special to 'Guardian.”)

WELLINGTON, September 5.

In its annual report the Empire Marketing Board, which was formed in May, 1920, to furtlior tho objects of marketing in the United Kingdom of empire produce, says that upon tlio basis of tho price levels of 1924 tho value of imports from Empire countries to the-United Kingdom rose Ifrom £383,000,000 in 1924 to £420,000,000 in 1927, an increase of nearly 9 per cent in a period during which the population is estimated to'have increased by 1} per cent., It is aso recorded as showing the growing dependence of employment in tho United Kingdom upon tho deyelopmont of the Overseas parts of tho British Empiro, that the valuo of the exports of British produce and manufactures from the United Kingdom to Empiro countries, calculated on tho same basis, rose from £334,090,000 in 1924 to nearly £380,000,000 in 1927, an increase of 13 per cent.

Early in April a quarantine station, built and managed by tho Royal Agricultural Society upon tho strength of a grant made from tho Empiro Marketing Fund has been opened. These stations are designed to enable tho export of pedigree cattle Irom the Uniteo Kingdom to take place at times when export would otherwise be rendered impossible owing to tho sporadic outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease. The Imperial Bureau of Entomology has employed a grant from the Marketing Board to establish a central laboratory, which has come to be known as the “Parasite Zoo.” Here,are bred insects, and here experiments are being planned for the testing of parasites ot yet unproved capacity. Already, among other shipments from this new station, parasites of the blow-fly have been shipped to Australia, New Zealand, and the Falkland Islands, and parasites of the earwig to Canada. The Board states that the most convincing way of testing the value of new ideas is to try them out on a commercial basis. Packing stations equipped to deal vffth produce on up-to-date lines and keeping full records by which results may be measured, are being established in various parts of the country. The Board has continued its policy of erecting at important exhibitions a pavilion in which spaces are allotted to the Dominions to display the different sorts of produce in which they are interested. A popular feature of all these exhibitions was an Empiro kticheii, in which demonstrations wero given to crowded audiences of the preparation of dishes of solely Empire constituents.

It is claimed that the term “ Empiro Goods ” was proivng a very good selling description. The question of how far the patriotic motive influences buyers in Britain must remain largely problematical. And it is manifestly no good telling the public to “ buy Imperially ” unless the product is obtainable in tbe shops, good in quality and reasonable in price. But in cases where regulntity of supply and uniformity of quality can be guaranteed, there is now ample evidence to show that a decided, if somewhat unconscious, bias in favour of the Empire article is being created in the minds of an increasingly large section of the population. FIGURES BY MACHINERY.

The accounting machine now carries ml most of, the work in the savings banks of New York. It is said to'be both more accurate and economical, and lias enabled the clerking stubs to be reduced by 50 per cent in spite of the increased volume of business. Tin's new machine was not brought out until 1924. It is operated by two persons and keeps their accounts separately. A daily total of items is compiled and simultaneous entries on ledger cards and in pass books are made. The machine is also used for deposit, withdrawal, and interest calculations. At this rate we shall soon have the human factor eliminated altogether from those commercial and professional activities in which figures are the preponderating media, and the transformation would be much easier and quicker if the standardisation of accounting systems made greater progress. But will the change be entirely advantageous?