BACK FROM A TOUR

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 27, 1 February 1929, Page 7

BACK FROM A TOUR

EMPIRE TRADE

SIR BENJAMIN MORGAN

GALL FOE EECIPBOCITY

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 7th December.

Yesterday at th May Fair Hotel tho British Empire Producers' Organisation entertained Sir Benjamin and Lady Morgan, who have just returned from an Empire tour. Tho Duke of Sutherland (president of the organisation) occupied the chair. Among those present wero the Bight Hon. L. S. Ainery, Sir Philip Cunlifie-Lister, Lord Desborough, tho Ear] 'of Glasgow, and Sir Pieter Stewart Ba^n. New Zealand was represented by Sir James Parr, Mr. E. S. Forsyth, Mr. H. E. Davis, and Mr. Cecil Wray.

In referring to His Majesty's illness, tho Duko of Sutherland said that as members of the British Empire Producers' Organisation, they knew what the King anil the monarchy meant to the Dominions overseas. They knewthat, those great countries overseas, loyal as they were to our.great traditions, were tied to these small islands chiefly by one supreme bond, tho monarchy. Increasing in strength, in wealth, in self-reliance, these countries bound themselves still to the Mother Country, chiefly because of tho. King. The monarchy was the greatest living force in the Empire The present King had for many years fulfilled with every conceivablo distinction tK difficult duties of his task. With supremo skill, with perfect tact and perfect modesty, and the highest appreciation of his constitutional position, ho had weathered soino of the greatest storms which ever overtook this Empire. There had been great constitutional crises. There had been Imperial crises. There had been the war. Id all these momentous hours of our national history one man had held our respect, our admiration, and our loyalty. There was no man, aio dozen men, in tho Empire who had done so much for tho country as he. SOME INTERESTING FIGUEES. Both tho chairman and Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister spoke of the excellent work clone by Sir Benjamin Morgan in promoting Empire trade. Sir Philip, in his speech, quoted somo interesting figures, showing what the Empire market meant to us in these difficult times. This year the ■ Empiro had taken from this country 42 per cent, of tho whole of our exports. If ho confined himself to tho manufactured articles into which most of British labour went the percentage would bo very much higher. This season Canada, Australia, and New Zealand sent over 81 per cent, of tho whole of their apple exports. Great Britain took 91 per cent, of tho Australian wine exported', and 88 per cent, of tho Australian dried fruits. South Africa sent to Great Britain 99.8 per cent, of'the oranges sho exported.- Australia and Now Zealand sent £16,000,----000 worth of butter to Great Britain, which took 81 per cent, of what those Dominions exported. Canada and Now Zealand sont to Great Britain over 90 per cent, of their exportablo surplus of cheese. The great value of tho organisation was that by practical technical means it enabled tho goodwill of tho Dominions and tho Mother Country to express itself in commercial terms.

Mr. Amory, in supporting tho principal toiist, described Sir Benjamin Morgan as a practical enthusiast. Wo had practical men without onthusiasin. Wo had enthusiasts who never got anywhere. In Sir Benjamin they had a practical business man who tried to find out practical ways and means of carrying out the ideals of which he had dreamed. Mr. Amery said that )»c hoped business men would not only think Imperially, but act Imperially by going out to tho Dominions to capture markets and tho sources of supply. Such tours as Sir Benjamin and Lady Morgan had just completed woro of far moro value to Imperial trado than any amount of advertising. JETTISONING FRUIT. Sir Benjamin Morgan, in tho course of an interesting speech, stated that one of the surprises of his tour was to find that a ship coming into San Francisco had, when threo miles outsi'do the harbour, to jettison all Australian and Now Zealand fruit.' Ho lad taken up tho matter with tho Ainoxiean authorities in Sydney, but no one could explain why this fruit conld not be placed uuder seal in the same ■way as alcohol or any othor of tho chips' supplies. On his voyage from Australia to South Africa he had eaten eggs that had been in cool storage for ton months and lettuces that had been picked four months previously. They were in perfect condition. Refrigeration had developed to such /in oxtcnt that Great Britain could get all her supplies from tho Empiro in first-class condition, disregarding timo.

The speaker said he was much impressed with the plants in South Africa for pre-cooling fruit. Ho was convinced that Australia and Now Zealand would gain considerably by treating thoir fruit in this way before shipment. After giving an interesting account of his tour and hia impressions of tho various countries ho visited, Sir Benjamin said that tho strongest impression he had gained was that the time lad arrived when reciprocal agreoments between tho Dominions and tho Mother Country and between themselves should take tho place of preferential tariffs. Canada might say: You take our pulp and we will take your high-grade paper. Australia might cay: You give us a preference on our canned fruits and we will tako 10,000 of your families to grow that . fruit. He believed that if wo did not make a gesture in tho direction of reciprocal agreements there would bo a dangor that this magnificent trade would go to foroign countries.