EMPIRE TRADE EFFORT

Shannon News, 17 April 1928, Page 4

EMPIRE TRADE EFFORT

CAMPAIGN IN CANADA,

EVERY STORE ASKED TO HELP

TORONTO, Feb. 25

The most spectacular campaign to influence the purchasing habits of the nation ever attempted in Canada will be launched with an '' Empire Shopping Week/’ to be held April 21 to April 28. Every store and shop from the Atlantic to the Pacific has been asked to co-operate in the display and sale of Empire products —Canadian products ‘first, but with the next, preference to products from the British Isles and other parts of the Empire.

There have been recenlly “Empire Shopping Week” and “Made in Canada never before a campaign of the kind organised on a national scale. The advisory committee Includes representatives of great national organisations such as the National Council of Women, the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire, the Retail Merchants’ Association, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Trade and Labour Congress, and the Canadian Manufacturers' Association. These are important organisations which enter into the life of practically every community in the country, and their combined influence should be impressive.

The main slogan of the campaign, w'liich appears on all the literature, and will later be blazoned on banners, streamers, bill-boards and newspapers, is:—“Empire Buyers are Empire Builders. ’ ’

A glance at the trade returns reveals the underlying reason for such k campaign in Canada. Despite Canada’s protection tariff, with its British preference feature, despite Imperial sentiment, despite the unfriendliness to Canadian products of the United States tariff, imports into Canada from its neighbour to the south, continue to" grow* by leaps and bounds, while imports,, from Great Britain and other parts of fte Empire have difficulty in holding their own. In 1927 Canada bought goods from the United States to the value of £141,454,092, or £93,376,901, more than the total purchases by Canada in the whole of the British Empire outside Canada. Thus United States purchases amounted.to £l4 a head for the entire population. An Empire Shopping Week is designed to coinba, this condition. Its influence is expected to last far beyond the week, and to create a permanent channel of sale.

While Canadian-made goods that compete with United States and other foreign imports will be featured ing the campaign the main emphasis of the week is, expected to be placed on British imports, particularly tex tiles and other lines for which the British Isle 6 are famous. This will be a response to the compliment paid Canadian produce iij the British Isles in the activities there of the, Empire Marketing Board, which has an annual grant of £1,000,000 to promote the sale of Empire products. Accompanying. Empire Shopping .Week, apart from the regular ’newspaper advertisements, will be a greht campaign of publicity, - which will in elude fancy dress balls, carnivals, addresses to luncheon clubs, radio talks, free travel tickets and gifts, window-dressing prizes, baby contests and other features. The time is regarded as singularly opportune. Canada’s per capita wealth is now third in all the world, and the recent shopping season was the best in history. The organisers say they believo that the movement will develop inter-pro-vincial trade, intensify inter-Impenai economic relations and strengthen the bpnds of Empire.