THE NEW ERA.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 October 1919, Page 6

THE NEW ERA.

COMING TRADE PROSPECTS. GERMAN GOODS PROBLEM. j Post-war conditions, and such questions as Imperial preference and trade with Germany, were referred to by speakers-at the Commercial Travellers' dinner at Wellington recently? The question of trade with Germany was mentioned first of all in a letter from Mr. M. Carr, vice-president, who was not present, being out of New Zealand just now. He expressed the hope that the commercial travellers arid wiuehousemen would do their hot to make it impossible for all time for Germans to trade v.'ith this country. Mr. Rushbrook, win; presided, said that the matter was one exercising the mind of every one of them—whether we were going to shut out German go;xls altogether, or whether we were to go on trading as in the days before the war. (Cries of "No.") How was this to be stopped? He thought the matter was one in which they as business meis could do much. They should be determined that they would push British goods for all they were worth They must use every Bcraji o? their influence to see that only line* tearing British trade marks were ;:old. (Applause.)

Mr. Massey said he v.-Uhed ro endorse the expression." of opinion by the president and vice -president of. the association regarding i.raue with Germany. He believed that the commercial travellers of New Zealand would do their best to keep German poods out of New Zt ..land, and if they wanted an assistant;: the GoverriTfTeirt and Parliament would assist them. (Applause.) "I hope with al! my heart," he said, "that Germany will not again be able to obtain the high position she formerly had in different parts of the world. We have had om lesson, and if we do not profit by the lessons of the war, then we do noi deserve our victory. . . I hope trjat Britain will adopt a policy of Imperial preference. Something of the sort is urgently required. Britain has held to the policy of the open door, and that was perhaps the proper policy fiO or 70 years ago, but I don't think ;t is the proper policy to-day Conditions have changed. At that time the colonies were looked upon as a burden aud an encumbrance, but the British people do not now look upon the younger nations of the Empire as a burden and encumbrance. The people of Britain—and I speak of them with respect and with a great deal of affection—know that the future of the Empire depends on Die younger nations of the Emplw. and J f the Empire is to be developed as it ought | to be developed, then the proper thing to do is to arrange this policy of Imperial preference, in order that' we mav help one another on every possible occasion. This could be done by Customs tariffs, but that i? not the only way, we could help one another in finance, immigration, shipping, and in other ways. I do not for a moment say that We should not trade with other nation?, but not with Germany—(hear, hear)—but we have to help our own people first, to help our own Empire. We may let j the Allied nation.- have a fair share of! trade, but our own people mini aiways j come first. (Hear, liear). "' | Now that peace Ims come we have! entered upon a new era. The past, i glorious as it was, has gone. The record ! of the British soldiers and the British I people is a record that never will be forgotten, but the present is with lis. and the future depends on the use wo make of the present. . . . We are at the parting of the ways. We have to choose as to whether we should do wlnrj our forefathers have been doing—go on I building up and developing, using the qualities which are to some extent peculiarly British, the qualities of industry, energy, and enterprise—or whether we shall adopt the policy of go slow, the habits of luxury and'laziness which are certain forerunners of disaster and downfall. Great empires of the past have 'come down to this policy of luxury and laziness. I believe in the British people. I believe we shall go back to the policy of building up and developing. Let us begin at once. Let us without delay choose the better part, and make this Empire of ours worthy of the tremendous sacrifices made for us by the thousands of citizens in the years of the war. (Applause.) Sir Joseph Ward said that men in commerce would have great responsibility thrust upon them in the years immediately to follow. The Old Country was allowing Germany trade with her, and said as a matter of policy that this was to continue. Other Allied nations were doing the same. In these circumstances it might not be possible for New Zealand to take legislative action to prevent the invasion of German trade, and it would be left to the people themselves to say whether trade operations ; with Germany could be renewed. New Zealand wanted Imperial preference, but New Zealand wanted it in a way she had not yet had it. We had already given preference to Britain and to some other parts of the Empire, but at present Britain, .under her fiscal policy, had no preference to offer to us, except the great privilege of getting our products into England free of duty. Mr. Massey knew; and he knew, that Britain was most anxious to co-operate with the galaxy of young nations of the British Empire. No other country had such an array of young nations, and no other country could ever hope to have them. He had the utmost confidence in the future, which would belong to the rising generation, and he had no fears about their keeping the heritage that would be handed down to them.—Dominion.