BRITISH EXHIBITION

Evening Star, Issue 18048, 16 August 1922, Page 5

BRITISH EXHIBITION

TO DEVELOP EMPIRE RESOURCES.

MAJOR BELCHER’S MISSION.

A large and representative gathering of business men met in the Savoy lounge last evening to welcome Major E. A. Belcher, assistant director of the Empire Exhibition, and Mr P. W. Bates, secretary of the exhibition. Mr W. 0. Burt occupied the chair, and the evening took the form of a social function, musical items being intermingled with speeches. The Chairman, in introducing the guest of the evening, said that they were all aware of the unemployed question in England to-day, and they should give serious consideration to placing their orders in England. There were too many orders going to America, which was largely duo to the good salesmanship of the Americans. Cr Shacklock apologised for the unavoidable absence of the mayor, and, on behalf of the citizens, welcomed Major Belcher to Dunedin. Major Belcher said that Dunedin would no doubt advance in commercial importance should it get a direct line of steamers. The exhibition, ho said, would open in April, 1924, and would remain open for six months. It would ho, located on 150 acres in Wembly Park, which was specially accessible for people and goods. This site was chosen so that exhibitors would he able to get their exhibits there most cheaply and most conveniently. The feature of the exhibition would ho the British block, which would occupy one million square foot, and half a million sterling would be spent on it. Other blocks were taken up by the various industries. Captains of industry had realised the commercial importance of this exhibition, 'and were connecting themselves with it from start to finish. Before the exhibition was realised they had to find the finance, and to do that they had to convince the business men that it was going to nay its way. They had done this, and that was sufficient proof that the exhibition would he of importance to the colonies. The dominion would only have to erect, equip, and maintain its own pavilion, over which it would have complete control. They estimated the total cost of the exhibition at one and a-half millions sterling, and the revenue at one and three-quarters millions sterling. The surplus would be divided equally between England and the colonies—--50 per cent. each. They wanted the co-operation of every Government and business man in the colonies in order to make the exhibition a success. The South African Government, the Commonwealth Government, and the Indian Government had all voted large sums, and hooked space in the exhibition. The exhibition was an attempt to take stock of what the British Empire could do—what the resources, production, and possibilities of the colonies were. The Great War had taught ns that Great Britain was not self-supporting in respect to food and supplies for making munitions. They hoped that there was going to he universal peace, hut they could not afford to run the risk, as had been done, and they must look to the future. That was the political side of the exhibition. Then there was the economic side. Every sovereign that was spent by the, dominions in England and every sovereign that was spent by England in the dominions was helping the return of a normal condition of affairs. Trade would not go ahead till the load of debt of war loans was removed. Now Zealand had the highest proportional wealth in the world, and there was no other country in the world with such financial prosperity. Every person in Great Britain had to earn half a crown every day in a productive capacity to pay the interest on the war debt. The solution lay in the increasing trade within the Empire, and this exhibition was to show the advantage of Imperijl trade. The speaker mentioned cotton growing in Australia, which, he said,: would in a few years outgrow America. New Zealand had great possibilities also to develop the cotton industry. There was a chance to buy the raw material from Australia. That, of course, would require capital; but the exhibition was going to bo held so that New Zealand could place her possibilities before the financiers. The exhibition would also offer the colonies tile chance to expand their markets and enable the consumers of England to got acquainted with the resources of the_ colonies. New Zealand should recognise the value of publicity, and that also was what,the exhibition would assist. In conclusion. Major Belcher said that the exhibition would make the parts of the British Empire better known to each other. They had the greatest Empire the world had ever known, and it was up to them to keep it going.

Sir George Fenwick said that everyone realised that the exhibition was going to he an important factor in the future prosperity of the Empire, and everyone should help it to his utmost. 'Mr C. S. Owen moved a vote of thanks to Major Belcher, whicli was seconded by Mr Sincock and carried.

_ Reference to the British Empire Exhibition was made in the Financial Statement last night by Mr Massey, who said that the question of New Zealand’s participa.tion. in it was discussed at a conference at which ho was present in London in July of last year. He then indicated that the New Zealand Government would assist in making a success of the exhibition, whose main objects aro the fostering of interimpevial trade, the finding of fresh world’s markets for dominion and Home products, and 1 of aiding the discovery of further sources of national wealth in the development and utilisation of the raw materials of the Empire. The Minister of Industries and Commerce had taken steps to secure the assistance, in an advisory capacity, of gentlemen who are prominent in the producing, commercial, industrial, and labor affairs of the dominion, and had secured on behalf of the Government the active co-operation of these interests in making New Zealand’s participation in the project worthy of the dominion. The Government was particularly desirous_ of using the exhibition as a means of making known tho merits of the primary' products of New Zealand l , of increasing our exports of wool, butter, cheese, kauri gum, hides, frozen lamb, frozen, mutton, hemp, and tallow ; of showing the substantial development that had taken place in our secondary industries during recent years; making better known the opportunities, the dominion offers for the investment of British capital, and for the settlement of tho right type of British immigrant: and displaying to advantage New Zealand’s natural mineral! wealth—our quantities of gold, coal, iron ore, greenstone, and other valuable minerals. Tiro attractions the dominion offers to tho tourist, the sportsman, and the health-seeker would also bo fully illustrated.