BRITISH TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 3, 4 July 1922, Page 8

BRITISH TRADE

EMPIRE EXHIBITION

RECEPTION TO'DELEGATE-

.Major 0. A_ Belcher, 0.8.8., and Lieut.-Colonel .A. Christie,, members of ihe mission which '. is visiting! the overseas Dominions in' connection with the British Empire Trade Exhibition, to be held in London in 1924. were accorded jai civic reception-in the Mayor's Room,' tl^own Hall, at 12.15 p.m. to-day. There ;«vas a large attendance of business men, and among those present were the Hon. iW. Downie ! (Minister of Cus4ms), and ( Messrs. R. W. : Dalton (lI.M. JFrade Commissioner) and J. W. Collins (Secretary of the Board of Trade). ':;The Mayor (Mr, R.- A. Wright, M.P.) jejtended a cordial welcome to the delegates, who, he said, would explain to the people in due course the objects of the mission. South Africa had voted £50,000 and the Commonwealth of Australia -3200,000 towards the Exhibition. Great Britain had voted £1,000,000, with the possibility lof a further ; million, -which showed how the Mother Country and Dominions were interesting themselves in the project. . The Exhibition would chow what the Empire could do, and would, he thought, illustrate that the •Empire was self-supporting. He trusted that the members. of .the mission, would have a pleasant time in New Zealand, and would appreciate the fact that the people here were anxious to help anything that would assist" Great' Britain. IHe bespoke for the visitors the kindness and the. courtesy of the people ■of Wellington. (Applause.)

The Hon.' W. Downie Stewart, who apologised for,the absence of the Prime Minister (Mr. Massey) and the Hon. E. P. Lee. (Minister of Commerce), extended a welcome to the visitors on behalf of the. Government, It was.possible for 'New' Zealand'to: assist, the /important •undertaking,, and the'assistance of the business.'jp'eople'would be. '.welcomed' by .the members of the mission. At a later stage the Government would be asked ■ for financial assistance. He .was glad - that the .Exhibition would not " take iplace until 1924, for had it been earlier the mission might "have had to go away handed. Mr. Stewart spoke of the /introduction 'of Imperial preference by New Zealand, and said it.was hoped that it's "advantages" would''have meterajilis'ed'by the time the Exhibition opened.. .New Zealand' was ever' ready to. help the■>Mother''Country, and 'knew .What was to be sained by adopting a ipolicy of trading within, the ■; Empire. She Minister wished the members of the. mission success in their visit. (.^pjJlause.) 2&AJOR' "C. A.' BELCHER'S 'REIPtY. |" I thank :yo.uivery!-heartily "for' the [welcome which has been accorded to us fty: the. capital city, of .the. Dominion," remarked Major C.'A"!"Belcher.^ "It is ii'happy augury-for the"work that lies aihead, of us that the civic authorities of (Wellington-r-representing the!; social; industrial, and commercial life of the comimuruty—should have taken the opportunity of bidding, us such a hearty welcome, and of wishing us God I speed in jthe work in hand." Major Belcher a!dded that heuwas.not going to inflict! a speech jiipon themion!:that occasion,.-because; it fed beerf'arraiiged, that; he. should'later an the'fafternobn explain in some detail jtp a gathering of business men and others the scope arid objects of the .Exhibition, and what was proposed to be 'done in carrying out the great project jthey had in hand. , .' ' ' BRITISH SENTIMENT. .

:■■■;■■ Both the Mayor and the Minister of Customs, said Major' Belcher, had referred tto the strength*of the sentiment •that-existed between New Zealand and ■ithe Mother Country. About ten years jago he, spent a very happy couple of 'years in .New .Zealand, so that he was to jEome'extent familiar with'the country. Jl'lmt enabled him to'say this: That'if \.he_ success of the British Empire ■ Exhibition rested purely on Imperial sentiment, in that case; as far as New Zea-' :,aand was .concerned, its success was *psured ; But' apart'from the question .pi sentimerit," it'was "hoped to impress '■the business men of this country that !;t.he_exhibition would be /'a business'protposition, .run, by .business men,: with de»_nito:. business ends." -The object was to take stock of our Imperial resources; ■ and, if necessary, to show that iwe liad within the. Empire, all that was liecessary to .maintain, the Em.ire. One of the '.most important problems before the Dominion in respect to increasing its productivity.was that it should find increasing. markets for its products. It was hoped that a result of ..the exhibition.iwould be to increase: greatly those markets, to increase the .fade'.v_ll_'"the"'"M6tl^ crease _ the trade between the ; . various Dominions, and also with other countries. He was not going to make the mistake of saying exactly what part of 'New Zealand, would play' ml the exhibition, or to _ay Z what; the!!' present condition Was'" of "New' Zealand's', primary products and secondary, industries. He and his colleagues-were-.going to spendsome -weeks .in :travelling :about this country, <> see "the- people, and, make inquiries; .on. the spot.. - 'When. they had completed those inquiries, .they would ,'prasult. the Government with respect to what they considered might be an adequate participation of the Dominion in the .exhibition.,,,_,,"; ;...::,.!'.'.i :\ ''WORTHaDOING .well;" • . ?! Major Belcher-said that as; a result jof consultation, with, the, authorities ,in it was probable, that the parStioipafcion of the Commonwealth would iriount.,,to.a, quarter of ,a, million, sterling s—£2oo,ooo being found on an; agreed jatio by the States and the Federal Governments,* the remaining £50,000 being the estimated,cost of procuring the exhibits by the States themselves. ■■> /The view"'-»of --kAu-tralia and South , Africa was,! t ;he va"dd'ed, v,',tha't;;if„.tli^. E_hi;" bition was "-worth-.i | doing^it 'wasWworth doing well. Business men 'in -Australia Jiad stated " that!!..if .'thosie.'f^carrying cut the Exhibition-informed'theni of the practical benefits of the Exhibition—that it was going to result in the development pf.'Australian,.industries—they, need not, worry about the rest. As he had said, After touring New Zealand, he and his -olleagues would finally consult the Dominion Government, with respect to the great Empire project before thenV A A SOUND .INVESTMENT." ' Lieut.-Colonel A. Christie heartily endorsed the remarks of Major Belcher. He was more particularly concerned with tho secondary industries. He'was sure that in that respect New JZealand had possi- . bilities that could be greatly developed %y the Exhibition. „ Although its primary products were the mainstay of the Dominion, there was up .reason ..why New Zealand should not increase its manufactures so as to become, as far as possible, self-supporting. He was convinced —and !ho was sure they would bo later n —that whatever support the Dominion gave to the Exhibition would prove a sound investment, and would repay tho people here in the way of increased trade. The whole object was to increase New Zealand trade,'-British trade, and trade between the Dominions and other (Countries. OF BUSINESS MEN. I The objects of the, mission are being. Explained to a meeting of'business men jwhich is being held in. the Farmers' Institute this aftenioon_