The Daily News. MONDAY, JUNE 8, 1914. GERMAN TRADE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 17, 8 June 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, JUNE 8, 1914. GERMAN TRADE.

I>. far the most important commercial news we hav,. received for a long time past is tlie intimation that Germany has decided to extend its shipping operations to Australia and New Zealand in furtherance of its plan of campaign to capture a larger share of the world's shipping. The plan, indeed, is so matured that the first boat is to sail for New Zealand next month, the two shipping lines engaged maintaining thereafter alternately four-weekly sailings. We are informed that the line will run from Bremen, Antwerp and Hamburg, via the Cape, making the Bluff the first port 'of call, and then working the coastal ports north to Auckland. The boats are to be. of 10,000 tons, fitted with cool storage and wireless installations, and have a speed of twelve to thirteen knots. "It is expected," says the cable report, "that Germany, Italy and Switzerland will obtain meat from Australasia, thus providing back cargo . . . The Conservatives even indicate that they are willing to abandon the veto on the importation of meat and wool in the in tcvests of tlio Australasian service." Evidently the Germans mean business, and, as usual, are going about things in a thorough and systematic manner. The extending of their operations to the Antipodes is only part of their plan, which, if Homo critics are to believed, aims at capturing the commerce of the world. For some time past an organisation has • been in process of formation in the Fatherland, called "the German Association For World Commerce." It has been inspired by the Kaiser, and is backed by millions of money. Tho promoters include every industrial organisation of importance in the country. Its mission is to spread far. and wide the gospel of German trade, blaze the way for an army of occupation in territory where German commerce has either had no foothold at all or a precarious one. The captain of industry who is in charge of the proposed gigantic movement, in an interview accorded a Home paper recently, said: —"You wonder why having just attained the greatest export figures in her history—£so4,ooo,000, an increase of £50,200,000 over the previous year, and almost double the figures of 1002—Germany finds it necessary to make a fresh, and still ntGre powerful bid for foreign trade. We are a far-seeing people. We have 66,000,000 inhabitants to-day; some day we shall have 80,000,000. ff we wish to retain, feed, and employ them, and not to return to the times when we furnished .'JOO.COO emigrants a year to other countries, we must not only hold Use markets we have but materially and constantly widen them and conquer new ones. Export trade is a factor absolutely vital to Germany's physical existence.. We have decided to resort to the same extensive method of cultivating it as oui'-tarmers have always had to do." H is a patriotic as well as a ■commercial movement, and therefore has every prospect of success. The attitude of the agrarian party is significant. For years they have been able to prevent our frozen meat and other produce finding an entry into the German Empire, but now, according to latest cables, they are quite prepared to abandon their veto on colonial food importations in tho interest of trade development. Perhaps their hands have been forced by the democracy whose slogan for the past year or two has been "cheaper food." The Germans, naturally, desire to exchange for our primary products articles of tlicir own manufacture. Mo doubt the trading will prove mutually advantageous. Competition is the life and soul of business, and it is a.s true of nations as of individuals. The. more markets opened up to our produce, the better for our producers, for it is certain prices must advance in consequence oF so many bidding for our produce. Ind as a result, the more money the producers will have to purchase goods from outside. Both the American and Germans will have to .contend against the preferential tariff in force in New Zealand, and if they can do so successfully, all power to them. As-a matter of policy, it is questionable it the preferential tariff should be retained. The people, as in other eases, of tariff impositions, have really to pay in the end, ami in erecting the tariff feme higher, they are but penalising themselves. British trail? must suffer as the result of this now competition, but to a large extent the shipping companies concerned havo no one to blame but themselves. For years (hey have had a monopoly of the trade of those parts, and invariably studied their own pockets rather than the interesls of the people of New Zealand. We have suffered in Taranaki as a result of this combination. Not so long ago several commercial houses combined to secure a cargo direct from Home to New VI) month. This, however, did not suit the shipping companies' book, and they were powerful and their influence far-reeehing enough to block our commercial houses from obtaining their goo;! s in the cheapest and best manner. Now that they are confronted with live competition, they may be more considerate and enterprising. We have little or nothing to thank the big companies for. They would, if they could, block overseas trade with New Plymouth, and such like growing and ambitious ports. and concentrate only on the trade of the larger ports. They are hardly likely, however, to lake up this stand much longer. We may even (ind that the Marine Superintendents for the companies will suddenly discover that the harbor at Moturoa is advanced sufficiently to take tho largest of their ves-

sols. But on broad and general grounds, (lie ox tension of the operations of tin; foreign shipping companies -to these, parts ia of tremendous importance to us a.s a Dominion and must prove of considerable benefit in every way. For Hint reason, it is certain to command the support and encouragement of everyone interested in the development of this young and richly endowed country.