BRITISH MANUFACTURERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 990, 5 June 1930, Page 8

BRITISH MANUFACTURERS

DEFENDED BY TRADE COMMISSIONER • GIVE THEM A FAIR DEAL” British manufacturers 'were defended by Mr. L. A. Faish, British Trade Commissioner in New Zealand, against much of the criticism levelled against them, when he addressed the Auckland Creditmen’s Club yesterday afternoon on ‘ Some Aspects of Empire Trade.” He appealed for a larger consumption of British goods and said that with the help of the overseas Dominions Britain would soon climb out of her present period of depression. New Zealanders and Englishmen alike seemed to discredit their own country's efforts. A ready Press in England told of the misdemeanours of British manufacturers whenever they were mentioned, but appreciative remarks djd not receive the same attention. Mr. Paish said that a strong committee had been formed to find out where British salesmanship fell short and what steps would be necessary to improve it. An interim report by the committee had stated that salesmanship of many firms was on the very highest plane. LESS GLOOMY TALK Sir Edward Crowe, head of the Department of Overseas Trade, had recently appealed for less gloomy talk at a time when British trade was rising from a period of depression. Although Britain was a country supposed to be “played out,” her trade balance for 1929 had been £ 151,005,000, and for the year ended March 31 £137,000.000. This, Mr. Paish thought, was a solid state of affairs. In his opinion the bedrock of the slump period had almost been reached. Empire trade, which had become rather a political question, was being talked about by everyone in Britain and Mr. Paish proceeded to give some interesting facts about it. Britain’s imports from Empire countries in 1913 amounted to 24.87 per cent, of the whole, and in 1926 to 26.12 per cent. Her exports to the rest of the Empire showed a greater increase, from 37.28 to 41 per cent. Neither imports nor exports represented half the total trade, but both were increasing up to 1926. In the past three years, to 1929, however, imports fell from 26.59 to 26.12 per cent., and exports from 42.56 to 41 per cent. Mr. Paish said that his hope and aim was to reverse this tendency so far as New Zealand was concerned.

FAVOURABLE TRADE Of the Dominion’s exports 73.7 per cent, went to Britain, and British goods made up 46.2 £er cent, of the imports. “Your trade with Britain is more favourable than that between probably any two countries in the world,” commented Mr. Paish. “With our next three competitors, the United States, Canada and Australia, you have unfavourable trade balances. I should like to see some of this trade transferred to the Old Country. “Britain provides your one sure market. She takes 76 per cent, of your butter, 99 per cent, of your cheese and 70 per cent, of your wool. She can take still more, and you need never fear that a tariff of any kind will be imposed on your produce.” Mr. Paish asked New Zealand not to send Britain her butter wrapped in vegetable parchment imported from Belgium, her cheese wrapped in American cloth, or her meat in wrappers imported from Japan. This was not playing the game. At the conclusion of the address Mr. Paish was accorded a hearty vote of thanks, on the motion of Mr. W. J. Holdsworth.