BRITISH TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 139, 16 June 1927, Page 8

BRITISH TRADE

AN EMPIRE NOTE

ADDRESS BY SIR A. BOYDCARPENTER

'^YE WILL GET THROUGH'

In an address at the Town Hall last night, under the auspices of the North Island Motor Union, Sir A. Boyd-Car-penter', M.P., struck a strong Imperial note in dealing -with, the question of the trade of Gr.eat Britain and the Dominions. "It is the duty of our people, it is your duty, and it is mine, to try to get into closer contact," he said, "for business and for the Empire; for the Empire cannot continue unless it is based on good business relationship between yourselves and us. . . . You in this great Dominion of ours—for we aTe one —had an external trade of 95 mil--1 lions last financial year. 'It was 107 millions two years go. You have your external trade; and what does it really consist of? It consists of this: Your exports .were 45 millions; -your imports were.49 millions. That is what is called a bad trade balance. We have the same at Homo, in a larger degree. You send to us 75 per cent, of your produce, and we gladly take it, because you are one with us. You take from us perhaps a little bit less than perhaps we might think you should. And what is the effect of this? You are at the same time allowed graciously by your opponents to send an odd 5$ millons a year into, their land, and they send 15 millions into yours. What does it mean! You are ten millions to the bad upon that. We in England take from you 75 per cent.; you take from us 45 per cent. What does it mean? It means this: that in the long lun we are weakening our power of productivity we aer weakening our resources;we are weakening our financial position. ... Let us consider the inevitable result unless we come together and understand these matters, and realise that the strength of one is the strength of the other. You • can never bring down the cost of living any more than yon can maintain, the standard of living unless the component parts j of the British Empire work-together." ! SUCCESS OF THE EMPIRE. The speaker then. referred, on the lines of his previous address, to the stupendous difficulties which have con-: fronted Great Britain and the manufacturers of that country in recent years, and how they had met those difficulties. "I was told, to-dayj" he said, "by somebody who I d*o not think was too friendly—l do not mind that because I rather like interruptions at my political meetings at Home—but he said: 'Don't flag-wag.' I said: 'I am cot flag-wagging. I am talking from my heart upon something which is to me deeper than anything—politics, social, or financial ambitions-^-and that is the success of the British Empire.' (Applause.)^ And there is this: the world knows what we do represent; and if we can only get over the superficial criticisms among ourselves, if we can only get over the difficulties which confront us, by mutual co-operation and understanding, then we can indeed be a greater people than ever beforej-and, like a tower stand four-square to all the winds of heaven or hell. We can do that. ...

"Therefore bo not deceived. The British race, while it grouses at its brother members, is essentially honest by; disposition. It; will get through its; troubles. As you will get through yours here, so we shall get through ours at Horne —by assimilation of ideas, and' by co-operation of judgment,, and by consolidation of brains. We shall win through. And, believe mo, we shall-get through for this reason; not only be-, cause of the factors of which I have spoken, but for this reason also: that withia tho so-called cold British heart there still remains a violent and an impassioned idealism that will win through. ... We must, combine for the good of all within the British Empire, because wo believe in the strength of the Empire as the finest asset for tho peace of the world; and in the years to come let us trust that we will be able to say that we have done our little towards the maintenance of a great ideal, for the betterment of the world, for the bringing into the politics of the world, and into; the control of the affairs of the world the principles of tho Divine-Person Himself, who taught, preached, and instructed, and of whom, in my judgment, tho British Empire is tho finest interpreter today." (Loud applause.)