BRITISH INDUSTRIES

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 128, 4 June 1929, Page 10

BRITISH INDUSTRIES

THE GREAT FAIR

NEW ZEALANDER'S IMPRESSIONS

Mr. E. A. Batt, who returned to Wellington by the Makura yesterday after an extended business tour of England, the Continent, and America, spoke interestingly to a" Post "reporter today of the impressions he had received during his trip.

"I went Home primarily," stated Mr. Batt, "to visit the British Industries Pair in February last. Held both at the White City, London, and at Birmingham, the fair was a wonderful exhibition—wonderful demonstration of what British industry can do. In conjunction with the Ideal Homes Exhibition at Olympia, the British Industries Fair showed most completely and comprehensively the manufactures of the Old Country. Unfortunately, ' owever, the effect was somewhat marred by the unprecedented weather conditions then prevailing, as a result of which these exhibitions were not so successful as in. previous years At the White City, for instance, they had to spend upwards of £400 a day on heating the buildings 1 to make it possible for both the exhibitors and the public to stay, there. The temperature during parts of February and March was down to nine degrees below zero, and, of course,, the traffic and everything else was impeded by the blizzard, and the bad weather conditions generally. In spite of all these drawbacks, however, one could not but feel impressed with the industries of Great' Britain, both in regard to the quality of the goods manufactured and their marvellous variety. • LACK OF PROTECTION. "Unemployment, of course, is Britain's greatest problem to-day, as it has been ever since the end of the Great War. "Personally, I am of opinion that the unemployment is very largely due to the lack of protection for Home industries, owing to Britain's continued adherence to her free trade policy. The of course, is most acutely felt in the coal industry; but actually upon every class of industry free trade has its detrimental, effect. Another factor that was disturbing England during the past year was the pending elections and the possibility of the triangular fights creating an unsatisfactory situation. That ■ was responsible for a good deal of want of confidence in the future—in the immediate future, anyhow. But, generally' speaking,' as far as I could gather, talking with many scores of manufacturers as I did, there was a more hopeful feeling in England, and moving about .the country one saw very little, if:, ny, poverty or privation. There seemed to be an immense amount of money spent in luxury and amusement, particularly in London and the larger cities.

AMERICAN CAPITAL FOR EUROPE,

"A word about the Continent from the trade point of view may be interesting. I was particularly impressed with the enormous influx of American capital into Germany and Belgium, and, to a lesser extent, into other countries on the Continent. It appears that large American interests have secured the control of a considerable number of the important industries of Germany, and in France and Belgium they have established branch factories for the cheaper production of .their goods for European and world trade. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE. "I would like to express my appreciation of the very high state of efficiency, of the High Commissioner's Office, London. I could see a very marked improvement in it under Sir James Parr's. administration on this last visit to the Old, Country, and I consider that our High Commissioner's Office is probably the most efficient of all the colonial head offices in London. But there was one thing thai, also impressed me at the same time, and that was that the office seems to be under-staffed, as various departmental heads appear to be greatly overworked, and unable to cope satisfactorily with the . tremendous amount of business they have to deal with. I certainly think that the Government should consider favourably-in-creasing the staff in London in proportion to the growth of the work. This, I think, applies particularly to the Trade and Produce Department, the Customs Department, and also the. Publicity Department: I must say that in the publicity section the .work that is being done throughout England is very creditable indeed, and we at this end can feel satisfied that the High Commissioner's office is not losing any opportunity of keeping New Zealand well before the British public. ' TOURISTPROPAGANDA. "There is just one other thing I would like to say,.coming nearer home. 1 think the Tourist Department has i done a very wise thing in making the mail agents on the Vancouver and San -brancisco mail boats official propagandists for the Department. It was very noticeable the large amount of literature that was distributed on the ship by the mail, agents on the Makuu., and how eagerly it was sought after by a number- of; the passengers, aarticularly Si? i A.? erican. tourists. I certainly think that this propaganda work should be extended more into the United btates. of America, which affords the biggest potential 1 Id for developing the tourist ;tf a ffic* o : New Zealand." '