MOVES TO REDUCE GRIME

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31210, 7 November 1966, Page 1

MOVES TO REDUCE GRIME

The compulsory use of smokeless fuels in Britain had reduced much of the grime, said the secretary of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce (Mr P. L. Bush) yesterday.

He thought it would be worth while looking into the compulsory use of smokeless fuel in Christchurch. Mr Bush has returned from a five-week tour of Britain, sponsored by the Commonwealth Relations Office. Britain was not a. dying country, he said. He was impressed with the demolition of the old centres of many of Britain’s cities and the imaginative rebuilding. Mr Bush said he thought that the July economic measures in Britain were rather drastic. But it was too early yet to know what their effect would be. “It would seem something I

had to be done and is being done,” said Mr Bush. “There is a tremendous emphasis on Britain being more productive and concentrating on production.” The trend in Britain seemed to be towards the exchange of industrial goods for- industrial goods, rather than primary products. In other words, Britain was importing manufactured goods as well as exporting manufactured goods. The reason for this was the industrialisation of developing countries. Mr Bush said that he was surprised to learn that Britain’s agriculture produced two-thirds of its requirements. He said that he gathered from various chamber of commerce executives and commercial executives he met that they were in favour of Britain entering the European Common Market. This was because Britain was essentially a manufacturing community, and it had to find a mass market

The executives felt that barriers were beginning to pile up against them, while they were being lowered among the existing members of the Common Market. “It is desirable that application be made to join the market as soon as possible,” said Mr Bush. Many persons he had met in Britain had told him that they thought New Zealand's import control regulations were grim. Britain would like a bigger share of what was being imported by New Zealand. “We heard a few complaints about this,” said Mr Bush. The tour was to enable executives of chambers of commerce, to see something of the industries of the United Kingdom, to learn about the economy of the country and to meet officials involved with trade relations with New Zealand, he said. The party held informal discussions with chambers of commerce throughout Britain. Mr Bush visited London,

. Glasgow, Edinburgh, Uver- ’ pool, Birmingham, Manches- . ter, Sheffield, York, Bourne- , mouth and Southampton. I M