The Guardian And Evening Star, with winch is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 1929. BRITISH COMMERCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 June 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with winch is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 1929. BRITISH COMMERCE.

It was claimed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his late Budget speech that the British community is undoubted, y more powerful, more wealthy, and more securely founded than it was five years ago. The trade returns for 1928. says the Otago “Times” offer considerable support to this claim. The apparent adverse balance of imports over exports was £.359,309,090. But the invisible exports—including income from overseas investments, interest, and commission on oversea business and shipping returns —were estimated at £508,009,000 and Llitis the real balance in favour of

the nation on the year’s trading was ihoOjOJJjOO.,—as compared with only

£96,U00,110U in 1927, and nothing at ail in the fatal year of 1926. There have been encouraging signs not only of recovery blit also expansion in the chemical and artificial side industries and in those concerned in the production of electrical machinery and appliances. A distinct impetus has been given also to the development of interJmperial trade. A recent report of the Empire Marke.ing Hoard shows clearly the steady advance that has been made in this direction. In 1924 Croat Britain imported ir.mi the rest of the Empire goods to the value of £380,(Xh;,oiK) in 1927 u.e value of these imports reached £420,!!()(),U/J. In 1924 Britain .exported to the rest of the Empire goods to the value of £33-1,000,000 and this amount had increased ' to £OBO,i.(XJ,tn)J in 1927. We have mcnti .ned the development of the chemical industries. Before the Great ’War Britain was largely dependent upon Germany for many descriptions of chemica.s and of dyes. The reorganisation and rationalisation of the industry in Great Britain under Lord Mechetc’s direction has been markedly successful. The amalgamation of many competing linns and co-operation in distribution and in seliing have resulted in a large expansion of lntsi-, ness and in an increase in the number of persons engaged in these industries. The success of the application to them of modern methods of control lends force to the contention that similar methods of organisation would he strongly advantageous to other British industries. It is pointed out in the latest number of the Bound Tabie that the United States. Germany, and France have to a large extent adopted the principles of the rationalisation of industries. One illustration of the operation of industrial concentration in the United Slates which has become the busiest manufacturing country in the world, is somewhat illuminating. Tn 1926 the United States produced 4,259,627 motor vehicles as against Great Britain’s 198,700. But over 80 per cent, of the American total was produced by 10 concerns, while no fewer than 88 British firms-were engaged in manufacturing the small British total. The success of American industries is due in large measure to the manufacturers’ methods of organisation. The principles of rationalisation within the industry and of scientific management within the plant have been adopted. The writ or of the article in the Bound Table observes that both these principles are still usually looked upon in Great Britain as the catchwords of cra/.v busy-bodies because our grandfathers got on without them. Even the Feed a tor expresses tl’o onliii n that the elan of whidi L'-rd Melcbelt i« Ihe princ'yd advocate for. rat v>nnUsing emr' I 'hoi" and ov'i”vhody “might. ea«dlv mean I'm swopping a wav o c ovGG”" methods ’vlndi bavo eg(tn lev.-i ~r f.i'w” this sl-to-lpHl, 1'.,. e-oirjl- of . ni.cni—u. ism. w'di'i iv.' wi 1 n••-!..iooslv :n Groat Br-’taiu, is n \v r r idlv o'-'"'""''-fied. But, 11 le times are new times, international compe'il i-'ii is *"ove severe than it ever was in the past.

and British industry is •couironted with, conditions lo which in all probability it can adjust Uso.f only by the application of new methods.