TRADE WITH GERMANY.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 November 1922, Page 7

TRADE WITH GERMANY.

MARK NOT A FACTOR. CHEAP GOODS IN LONDON. “It is a great pity that the Commonwealth did not join forces with us in prohibiting trade with Germany,” said Mr. M. A. Carr, ex-president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, in the course of comments on the question of Germany and her trade. “In London I saw s-everal shops devoted to the sale of German fancy goods. These were being sold at. prices which were ridiculously low, and must ;be harmful for fancy goods manufacturers in England. It could have been done very easily, seeing that we are 12,000 miles away from Germany!” It was suggested that Germany might retaliate by refusing to buy New Zealand wool.

“Don’t you believe it!” said Mr. Carr. “There are now at least half a dozen buyers in Australia buying for Germany, and as many may be found here a little later on. What do } 7 ou think they are here for? It is only to save the London charges. If they can ship their wool direct from Australia to Germany in their own bottoms they save Id per lb., but if not they would have to buy in London, for they have to have wool. There is no interchange of trade obligation in it.” Referring to trade generally with Germany, Mr. Carr said that latterly the system of settlement for goods purchased. in Germany had been payment by English banknote, and the fluctuation of the mark meant nothing. When a man went to buy goods of any kind in Germany he did not change his money into marks and pay for his purchases in depreciated German money. He had to put down good Bank of England notes. The Germans knew exactly the position and the mark was not now a factor in trade between German producers and British buyers.