“IS IT BRITISH?”

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4913, 9 December 1925, Page 4

“IS IT BRITISH?”

ESSAY COMPETITION “CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME” Recently the New Zealand Association of British Manufacturers and Agents instituted an essay competition in the five Wellington Colleges, the essays being written under school conditions and by scholars of matriculation standard. The winner at St. Patrick’s College was the scholar who competed under the name of “Senex,” the subject of the essay being “Ask before you buy, The essay is as follows: — Ask before you buy, “Is it British?” From the workingman’s lips naturally arises another query, Will the buying of British goods enrich our Empire, and enriching it, will prosperity be transmitted to the individual New Zealander?” Economists seem to think that the highly competitive market is the best means of attaining prosperity. Where such a market is in vogue commodities are cheaper than those traded through a market pertaining to a monopoly. Now, most markets contain a large percentage of foreign goods, which approaches to the ideal favoured by economists.

This theory when put into practice certainly favours a small nation, e.g., Holland. The Dutchman needs many articles that he cannot manufacture in his own land, nor can he procure them all from his colonies abroad. Holland is compelled to buy foreign goods in order to manufacture her products, and this would be even more exemplified in the case of a smaller nation.

For a country to progress it must import as well as export goods. If a country were to prohibit importations its people would soon be reduced to a state similar to that of Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe.

Now, New Zealand is a small country, and it lacks many requisites that are needed to develop it fully. On the other hand, the British Empire is exceedingly large; embracing lands in every climate, growing every product that can be procured from foreigners; manufacturing every article that aliens do, and it places on our market these commodities, of at least equal quality, and cost, side by side with foreign goods. From which should we buy? If we buy alien goods, surely we enrich the foreigner. If we buy our own, are we the loser ? It seems absurd to think so. We are told that “charity begins at home,” and we New Zealanders have an excellent opportunity of putting the adage into practice. Now is the time while our country is developing to regulate wisely our imports, for once the foreigner obtains large inti erests, and a system of exchange with us, we will be powerless to loosen his grasp, and who would be-the heavier taskmaster a foreigner, or one of our own flesh and blood ? Surely we have had sufficient lesson in trading when we allowed the fraudulent Nippon to flood our country with shoddy articles which were'good for neither use noi ornament. To take one example. What about the Japanese . shaving-bi-ush? When you put it in water all the hairs fell out, and if you were lucky enough to save a few, and bring them into contact with your face you would probably catch a disease. So common did this skin disease become that on the advice of the health authorities a public notice was put in the newspapers warning people against using these brushes without first disinfecting them. We are all chasing the elusive solution to the “Cost of Living Problem.”' The best way to solve this is to have a competitive market, but have it British. Our largest market is England, so we should return the compliment by buying British goods- Then, and then only, will we attain: that peace and prosperity common to all families in which brother kelps brother, for the British Empire can be kept like one big family if we all insist on asking before we buy,. “Is it British?”