GLASGOW AS A MARKET

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 38, 13 August 1935, Page 12

GLASGOW AS A MARKET

PREJUDICE ALLEGED

TRADE. WITH AUSTRALIA

'■Evening Post," August 13.

• ..■'When-Mr. J. A. Lyons, Prime Minister of Australia, was recently in Glasgow he was asked to pay no attention to the "very unfair propaganda" that had been spread abroad adversely criticising' the port and markets of Glasgow. Colonel Norman Kennedy, president of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said he felt sure that Mr. Lyons would appreciate that these statements were made by jealous people who had their own axe to grind. The movement for developing trade between Scotland and the Empire began with the-efforts-of the Clyde Trust six years ago to increase imports to the Clyde, and these efforts had met with considerable success. Glasgow's imports from Australia had been trebled in the last four years, and Colonel Kennedy paid tribute to the excellent work done in this connection by Mr. Harold Ford, the commercial manager of the Trust. He hoped that Mr. Ford would continue his good work and that he would get the backing of the Clyde Trust. . Trade could only be developed satisfactorily for all concerned if it. flowed both ways. ■ "We must have exports to pay for our imports," said Colonel Kennedy. "Our ships must have cargo outwards as well as cargo inwards, otherwise shipowners would want higher freights for homeward cargo. Tariffs and Imperial Preference had a very great bearing on this question. During the last few years the Chamber of Commerce - had devoted a great deal of time and thought to the development of exports! to the. Empire, and in this policy, a very great deal of credit was due to Sir A. Steven Bilsland, Bt, for the initiative he had shown. THE LONDON MARKET. "We in Scotland fell that we were rather neglected by people who came from abroad on business. They did their work in London and thought of Scotland only as a place to spend a holiday," Colonel Kennedy added. He would like to impress on Mr. Lyons that London was not the only market in this country. In a brief reference to emigration, he' said Scotland had lost many of her best sons and daughters in this way, but sadness was turned to gladness when it was realised how many of them made good. The importance of emigration today was its' bearing upon the great question of unemployment. He was confident that it would have the earnest consideration of Mr. Lyons. When his country was in a position to welcome Scottish emigrants again, Glasgow would be ready to co-operate. AUSTRALIA'S PART. ■ ■ Mr.i Lyons said that Australia reciprocated ■ the sentiments expressed by. Colonel Kennedy. . When the crisis struck Australia her national income was about £600,000,000 for less than 7,000,000 people. . Because of the reduction in the price of primary products is fell in two years by £200,000,000. • -Every section of the population played its part. He was fairly confident that at the end of the present financial year, Australia would not only have a balanced Budget but one showing a surplus. - Glasgow had much in common with Australia because of the trade between them. He was not' surprised that Glasgow would encourage, an expansion of direct trading with Australia. That was the Australian's ambition and desire. Sometimes Australians1 were criticised for having ' perhaps developed and expanded a little too fast, and they were told that they were doing things that the people of Britain might be able to do better for them. Afer all. Australia was just another part of Great Britain. He had a feeling that they ought to.be glad if their people, 12,000 miles away, were also successful 'in new industries. ' It was essential from the, standpoint of- the future of .the Empire that they should. develop Australia on balanced lines just as the Mother Country had been developed, and that' was all they were doing.. . ■ . . • Australia had to send to Britain . £25,000,000 or £26,000,000 worth of goods to pay the interest on British investments in Australia before they could begin to trade at all with this country. "We do that," Mr.; Lyons added, "because we are determined-to. pay .the debt we owe, and to guarantee that the investment which you made in .Australia will be .reproductive and profitable." After; Australia had . done - that— starting-behind scratch to the extent of £25,000,000 or £26,000,000r-she went on to become a better customer of Britain than any foreign country in the. world. ..- . ' "•■... TARIFF PREFERENCE. Reference had been made to the fact that there was a time, when Australia imposed extraordinarily .high tariffs and .prohibitions on certauT goods, some of-them coming from Scotland; but these measures were, justified if Australia was to maintain the balance of trade. ; - •'■ Mr. Lyons wondered if they realised that, leaving out revenue items altogether, the average tariff imposed on British products was less, than 15 per cent. Since he had arrived in Great Britain his Government had implemented, decisions further reducing -tariffs-against Great Britain. In addition to the 15 per cent, the Australians provided a margin of preference to Great Britain against the foreigner in amounts that varied up toi 3.5 per cent. If they discarded all those: goods which Australia had to buy from tropical countries and things that Britain could not supply' they found that out of every,- .£lO .w,orth imported- into • Australia £7? worth came from Great Britain. . .'. '■•••■■ - ' . Speaking of. emigration, Mr. Lyons said they, had reached a'point when: their .people in Australia were engaged in- unprofitable industries, and' the time was not opportune for-immigra-tion from Britain, but he was optimistic . enough to believe that that time was not f;r away. - - '