WAY TO PROSPERITY

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 54, 27 November 1930, Page 6

WAY TO PROSPERITY

Plea for British Trade ADDRESS BY MR. EDWARDS Dominion Special Service. Auckland, November 26. A plea for greater support for British trade, and in particular for trade with the United Kingdom, was made by Mr.Ashcroft Edwards, of Wellington, president of the New Zealand United Kingdom Manufacturers’ Association, when he addressed a meeting of business men held to consider the formation of a branch of the association in Auckland. “It does not take much proving to show that the prosperity of New Zealand depends on that of the United Kingdom,” said Mr. Edwards. “Unfortunately we are on the surface a somewhat pessimistic race, and ns a consequence when our business men go home they meet people who are inclined to be pessimistic about England’s future. They are likely to take remarks they hear at their face value, and when they return to rush into newspapers. They are quite wrong. At present England is possibly the strongest economically of all the nations." “We are not a patriotic association and do not wave the flag. Our patriotism is practical. We are trying to aid the United Kingdom and at the same, time save this country. We hold after investigation that there are many manufactures in New Zealand which do not exist on an economic basiii. We hold that before a local manufacture is established it should be investigated to see if local conditions will support it. There are industries in the Dominion which are not essential and which have no justification for being a burden on the country."