The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1932. IMPROVING TRADE MARKETS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 November 1932, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1932. IMPROVING TRADE MARKETS.

The necessity of making every endeavour to increase the export trade of New Zealand in any possible centre is being recognised by the Department of Industries and Commerce, and the Minister recently stated that every endeavour is being made to further trade with the Far East. Although the Ottawa agreements have given New Zealand a more assured footing on the British market for meat and dairy produc'. comments a Christchurch exchange, exporters will not be so short-sighted as to think that these agreements are a complete or permanent solution of their problems. The British delegation to Ottawa repeatedly emphasised the fact that the foodstuffs market in Great Britain is seriously glutted; and while the meat quotas and perhaps the butter duties can be expected to ease the situation for the next five years, it would be rash to count on their renewal after this period or to count on their being completely effective if they are renewed. A measure of economic revival in the European agricultural countries and 'a further development of Russia’s export trade may well create .a selling pressure on the British market strong enough to defeat the purpose of the preferences granted at Ottawa. It must (also be remembered that, though most of the Dominions can look forward to considerable increases in population and consequently in producing capacity, the population of Britain can be expected to become stationary within the next decade. The Dominions will therefore be wise if, while still regarding Great Britain as their main customer, they look for subsidiary outlets for their growing export surpluses. For Australia and New Zealand the task should not he difficult, since they bavie, or can have, easy access to one of the largest and least exploited markets of the world. Even now there are opportunities for a very profitable trade with the Far East; but two or threp decades hence, when the industrial revolution in China has made more progress, the increased purchasing power of the Chinese people may open a, new land profitable era in the development of New Zealand’s primary industries. It has to he realised, however, that it may be difficult and expensive to gain a trade footing in the Far East. Attention has already bean drawn to the fact that there is i?,« yet no direct shipping between New Zealand and either China or Japan and to. the difficulty of arranging credits. ' But, the real difficulty .is thiat, in the case of China, trade and politics are closely inter-related. Since the War many countries have learned to their cost that a friendly and .sympathetic attitude towards dj'ie Chinese people is one of the conditions of profitable trade relations with them. When the New Zealand Government comes to the stage of negotiating with the Chinese authorities it will probably be reminded that some of its own legislation affecting Chinese entering and living in New Zealand gives needless offence to the susceptibilities of a. people with a keenly developed national oride.