TRADE WITHIN EMPIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 190, 13 August 1925, Page 7

TRADE WITHIN EMPIRE.

AN INTENSIVE CAMPAIGN, SCIENCE AND PUBLICITY. (By Cable.—rrcss Association.—Copyright,) LONDON, August 12. Sir H. J. MafcKindfer, chairman of the Imperial Economic Committee, explaining the Economic Report, stated that the committee visualised a~n intensive campaign on behalf of Empire 'products similar to the war-titnc natiotial savings movement, involving the exoen--diture of £2000 daily for the first year in carrying out the recommendations of' the report as regards research, besides publicity. The British consnmer should be organised for preference to Empire products, which must be consistent with quality, quantity, and continuity of supply. The committee proposed, on the otic hand, marking goods and propaganda, and on the other hand the development , of excellence in product by the research recommendations. He foreshadowed an! Imperial profession, in which research ■will be undertaken locally by men belonging to all parts of the Empire, travelling from country to country, from; laboratories into practical work, providing an intelligence system in the laboratories of what is going on outside, and vice-versa. The committee was unanimously opposed to subsidies in compensation for abandoned preferences, instancing the necessity for the development of research. Sir H. J. Mac Kinder mentioned the advantage Argentina had over Australia in regard to chilled beef. The committee proposed that a grant be made for the carriage of pedigree stock to improve breeds, in anticipation of the demand which would arise when research placed transport on an equality.' SHIPPERS NOT IMPRESSED. Inquiries among handlers of Dominion produce failed to discover any great enthusiasm about the Economic Committee's recommendations. This indifference is apparently due to the fact that traders generally, as a result of previous experiences, have not much faith in Government interference in business, and also the need of assistance does not at present appear urgent, as. with the exception of frozen beef, practically all the Dominions' produce has been selling remarkably well, and making fine prices this season, and there is no reason to anticipate any decrease in the demand unless something exceptional happens. The advertising -scheme is regarded as likely to prove helpful "in popularising Empire products. Mr. Benjamin H. Morgan, chairman of the Council of the British Empire Producers' Organisation, in criticising the committee's recommendation, says:— "Producers would much have preferred the committee to have reviewed the more practical and immediate problems with which the whole position is involved, such ns grading, packing, warehousing, shipping, storage and selling methods; also co-operative selling and marketing. The committe could practically assist most of these by giving a lead to a general policy of rendering financial assistance, in the form of bounties or grants, to specific industries. This would be extremely valuable, especially to the younger industries and to those -which are barely surviving as the result of foreign competition. "The producers will, welcome the research proposals. We consider the recommendation to spend Co per cent of the Government subsidy on advertising is out of proportion. Our first attention should be directed to grading, packing and practical marketing in order to i ensure ample supplies coming forward in a continual stream. One part of the Empire should be supplementing another in the different seasons. Then should come intensive advertising." SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. Mr. J. M. Cramsie, formerly chairman of the Australian Meat Council, expressed the opinion that the recommendations of the committee should be welcomed by the Dominions as a spur to producers to improve their production, grading and packing, thereby enabling consumers in Britain to secure a guaranteed regular supply of Empire products at a price well within their purchasing power. He emphasised the necessity for thorough scientific research into refrig- ! eration. Mr. Cramsie said he hoped the proposed executive commission would favourably consider the questions of cold storage in the United Kingdom, and of ocean freights. He said freight assist- . ance for transporting stud stock would • give the Dominions an opportunity of bringing flocks and herds of the highest standard of quality. He was sure the advertising campaign could educate millions of people to the necessity for, and desirability of, demanding Dominion i products where home-grown products ' were not available. I Meat importers welcome the proposed exnenditure on research as regards chilled beef, because the low temperature research station at Cambridge, which up to the present has been doing I excellent work in this direction, is 'greatly handicapned by the smallness of the funds available. j The proposals for marking Empire goods meet with general approval. It is pointed out, however, that the Australian and New Zealand egpr trade is likely to suffer if ench eg? is to be marked with the name of the country of origin, for housewives and the riroprietors of tea shons are harrTH- likolv to buy ezgs which bear visible evidence that they are eight weeks olrl. Consequently their sale would be chiefly to cake-makers and pastrycooks, who cannot afford to pay 2d aniece, wholesale, which was the price realised last season. I The Hiph Commissioner of New Zealand. Sir James Allen, referring to the committee's recommendations, said that if tl>p British Government spends I £650.000 on educational publie'tv and j insists on the marking and labelling of J goods with the name of the country of I origin, the result will inevitably be bene- ! ficial to the Dominions. It will, he save, pive the hosts of consumers an opportuni+v of hnvinjr "Empire sroods. Npw Zealand's -meat sunplies are ade--1 quate f"i* the p-ntire venr. and as soon ns the Dairy Board is effectively functioning butter and cheese will jbe continuous. —(A. and N\Z. Cable.)