EMPIRE TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 31, 5 August 1925, Page 6

EMPIRE TRADE

t ♦ — DAME NELLIE MELBA'S SUGGESTION MR. AMERY'S DEFENCE OF PREFERENCE., (FKOM OCR OWN COKBESPONDENT.) LONDON, 19th June. Tlie Right Hon. L. S .Amery, M.P., was the principal guest of the British Imperial Council of Commerce at a luncheon presided over by Sir Edward Man^ ville. The Colonial Secretary said he was profoundly convinced that the only way out for this country, and, indeed, for every part of the British Empire, in the difficult situation in which we all found ourselves, was through co-operation in the development of the_ Empire. Speaking of the preference given to this country by the Dominions, Mr. Amery said it was all nonsense to say this system of preference was a sham. It was true that one of the great factors in import trade was Britain's power to lend money, and. it was a serious matter that her balance of trade had disappeared so completely that she was not in a position now to lend money, and if she could not do this for the development of the world outside, and particularly the British Empire, there would at once be a reduced demand for British goods, a further increase ,in unemployment, and a. further disparity between imports and exports, and a still graver situation. "We are at this moment in a vicious circle," said Mr/ Amery, "and I do not think I can exaggerate the seriousness of the situation." What is needed in this country is a new vision.and it is for the business coumunity to * light the torch ■of that great vision of Empire development." WORK, ENTERPRISE, AND INITIATIVE. At the annual luncheon of the Institution of Gas Engineers, Mr. P. CunliffeLister (President of the Board of Trade) spoke of the general trade position as unquestionably serious. We were doing far too little business for the population we had to support. The diminishing margin on which business was being done was another serious factor, a3 was also the disparity between imports and exports. It was vitally important, whenever they were considering the use of any commodity made outside this country, that they should count the cost of importing it, and whether they could not use a home-made article instead. (Cheers.) The Government would work for (settlement abroad, and it was even more important that we should have stability and confidence at home. The greatest need of all was work, but there were also needed goodwill, mutual confidence, individual enterprise, and initiative, and at the same time everybody playing for the side. (Cheers.) , . THE EMPIRE IDEAL. Dame Nellie Melba sends a useful letter to all the leading papers:— "It is a magnificent tribute to the British newspapers that they have fought with such vigour to make Great Britain buy goods produced within the Empire, and farmers in Australia, Africa,' and New Zealand are, I am sure, more than grateful; but I do think that to-day, when everything, even music, wears a label, the shopkeepers might be induced to do a. little "more towards the Empire shopping ideal. "In ,the Southern world from which I come my people live and work with one ideal, and that is the Empire ideal. They carry that idealism into the very earth on which they produce food for the Empire and for the homes of the Mother Country. Perhaps it would not be too much to ask the retailers of this older land to bring the same spirit into their shops and to brand or ticket our Australian fruits, butter, and so forth, so that the British housewife may be re-,, minded that there is idealism as well as economy in a morning's shopping, and thus enable her to appreciate all the more fruit whioh brings Australian sunshine on to the British breakfast table. 1' EMPIRE TRADE MARK.' The Executive Committee of the "Federation of British Industries has reaffirmed a decision that in its opinion a British Empire trade mark, to indicate goods manufactured within the British Empire is not desirable in the .best interests of trade. Reasons iot this attitude have been conveyed to Sir Arthur Balfour (chairman of the Committee on Industry and Trade), which is now sitting. In the main they cover th* following ground :— In the less sophisticated markets of the world, particularly in the East and Far East, a uniform British Empire mark might confuse the minds of customers as to the difference between hio;h and low grade marks, and would giro the impression to them that all goods carrying the mark were of a sinslo quality. The establishment of. a British mark would seriously reduce the value of private trade marks registered in foreign countries. It would be impossible to make any arrangements to guarantee the quality of foods bearing tho mark, which would be in many enses attached to articles of inferior quality, and thereby react to the grave disadvantage of our national prestige. With resjard to the first objection it is noted that poods sell to an enormous extent throughout the Far Eastei'n market entirely on their trade mark. Hence tho zen.l of old-established firms to preserve the mark by which they have always been known in the market, and their opposition to any additional mark which iniglit place tho goods whose lons-standing excellence has won them a high reputation on n. level with inferior tjooUs from other makers,