FOREIGN GOODS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 110, 11 May 1926, Page 8

FOREIGN GOODS.

EFFORT TO SHUT THEM OUT.

JOINING OF FORCE-. EDUCATING THE TUBLIC. The decision to amalgamate the interests of the New Zealand Natives' Association and the Empire Trade Expansion League was made to-day at a joint meeting. It was recognised by the respective members that the purposes of the two organisations were in many respects identical, and that they could co-operate in trade rallies and in general efforts to further the interests of New Zealand manufacturers.

The Natives' Association, which was resuscitated in 1916. when the spirit of nationalism was strongly revived in the Dominion through the influences of the war. has about 1000 members. At to-day's meeting the general secretary for New Zealand, Mr. J. Toomah, declared that the very best the nativ-born New Zealander could show was somewhat hard to bring to the surface, but he was perfectly satisfied that the present movement had great possibilities and that Auckland should be the headquarters. In the course of the discussion several members of the executive of the Natives' Association. Messrs. J. Meade, A. Whisker, and \V. B. Watson, declared strongly against the admission of German, Japanese, and Austrian goods into New Zealand. Austrian goods, it was stated, were finding their way into Auckland in large quantities, and the position was the same in other cities, particularly Wellington. "By linking up these two organisations we can establish a band of voluntary workers throughout the Dominion." remarked Mr. Toomah, "and a great deal can be accomplished if we can only educate our people."

A motion that the Empire Trade Expansion League be allied with the New Zealand Natives' Association was proposed by Mr. Foster Kells Mason, Dominion organiser of ilie League, and carried. The inemhers present gave a unanimous expression of opinion in fvour of the amalgamation, ft was stated that the force of public opinion in New Zealand could do a great deal, and it was pointed out that a strong effort -mould be made to discourage the willingness that English manufacturers had shown to supply German goods to customers in New Zealand. Unless it v.as nude very explicit that German goods were not wanted, and even on some occasions when such a precaution was taken, German goods were often supplied to the defenceless importer.