EMPIRE TRADE,

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8209, 5 August 1915, Page 4

EMPIRE TRADE,

APPEAL TO NEW ZEALANDERS' PATRIOTISM. ■•■■'■■ | CHAMBER OE COMMERCE', i RESOLUTION. * (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, August 5. A-long-discussion took place at the Chamber of Commerce Conference today on the question of Empire trade. • The subject was introduced by a motion moved by a Wellington delegate, urging tho advisability of inaugurating a movement to take advantage of the suspension of trado with enemy countries, with a view, when peace is declared, of diverting such trade and developing trade, within tho Empire and with the' Allied nations. It- was also proposed to undertake the formation of a league with the following primary objects : —(1) Affording the people of the. Dominion ' an ■opportunity ' of- uniting, as one recognised body to -"actively .support tho cause of British Empire trading; {'z assisting one or more of the New Zealand patriotic funds by applying tho net profits oi' the league for this purpose.

It was urged by one of the speakers that Germany, had pandered to our tastes w jvith low freights, cheap goods, and steamship linos, and had sugared the pill and we had swallowed it, and perhaps the-sarnie money we had provided Germany .with was being returned in the. form of 'ammunition, resulting; in suqh""jarful British casualties. New' Zealand .should do its part by foregoing its passion Tor .shoddy foreign goods and;paying a little more for goocl.-Bpi-: tish manufactures. ' ..".'.. >'^" J":

The , oont'oronce filially . adopted a motion to encourage Empire trade.