EMPIRE TRADE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 821, 15 November 1929, Page 8

EMPIRE TRADE

BRITAIN’S POSITION IS IMPROVING COMMISSIONERS ADDRESS "Britarn Is Still able to ... j and take a good deal of n ou ;„“ D ment. These figures showing increase of her trade balance . the r:ght side should prove " n that the Homeland is bv -i -> m * ou decadent.” Thus Mr. la. A Pai*h 11>. . T 'i , , i. " I m i».o tourso ot an informative I optimistic speech to business i men *? i tl,e *■ l,an,bcr * ,f fhmmerce m„ m ,, lun< eon ,he lA " ls iuiimZ Mr. rainh addressed an ' ; coninuHlation of the hall •I, murt bo hatWaolor, ;» j. M-airh to know that trade l,t„ ' Kmpuo tn.de ~ improving.- s „ i(i * , • " '••• «s chairman h the absence of the president Mr H T Merritt. * j, l have been touring in the Wa - and South Islands for the last tw* | months and Ia in sure there is a gr ei . g misapprehension of condition* 4l Home.” began the speaker for the dcy. Healing with Britain’s position today. he said that the Homeland pro, duced half the veal and mutton and lamb she consumed, hut only seventh of the butter and one-fifth o' the cheese eaten in the country. Added to this were the lug supplies of cotton, rubber, ore and the many other lines of supplies which required to be jnported. Then fore the keynote c r Britain's policy had to be to pay imports by exports visible and' invisible. All over the world an intense national spirit was growing up. and slogans such as “Spain for the Spaniard.'’ were being promoted. In. dustries which had sprung up to suppjr the wants of belligerant countries during the war were being protected. Before the war Britain was th* greatest exporter of manufacture* goods in the world, but during the war, her customers had gone elsewhere in some cases, had become supplier?. Therefore Britain was having a Ion; struggle to get back her markets. The difficulty was reflected \\ Europe’s difficulty s compared with the United States, where a group o' States was surrounded by one tarif wall. In Europe there was no bir mass of population within one tariff wall, therefore the proposal for a United States of Europe was an exceedingly difficult one to carry int* effect. Nevertheless European bust, ness men were banding together for trade purposes and sooner or later Britain would have to decide whether she would remain outside or join with the United States of Europe. The speaker closed with an appra! to business men to study carefully thp r meaning and effects of Empire tradf and urged on them the desirability «f attending the Industries Fair, forthcoming in London. A hearty vote of thanks was proposed by Mr. li. A. Laidlaw.