EMPIRE TRADE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 March 1917, Page 7

EMPIRE TRADE.

MR R, W. DALTON AT HOKITIKA. Mr R. W. Dalton, lI.M. Trade Commissioner, delivered an interesting address on trade matters at Hokitika yesterday. Mr G. A. Perry (Mayor), who presided, stated that Mr Dalton had been sent out by the Imperial Government with regard to the expressed wish of the Dominions for increased trade with the Mother Country. Mr Dalton's address is thus summarised in the West Coast Times : THE BRITISH MANFACTURER,

Mr Dalton said he had heard the British manufacturer ciiticised for want of enterprise, but he could assure them that the British manufacturer was just as enterprising as any manufacturer in the world, and had always been able to hold his own in any of the markets of tha world. British trade was not sunering from senile decay. Britain had sent live* million men to the front, which was'.fullv 50 per cent, of the labor available ■' to manufacturers, and yet. they had .been able to make their own munitions, supply the Allies, and maintain their own export trade. A lot had been said in regard to the ' British manufacturer 'being careless in regard to catering for the-wants of the retailer, but ...he would tclf them the rea.son. As an example, he quoted certain motor cars and agricultural machinery which" New Zealand largely imported from another country. These cars and machinery were entirely suitable to the wants of the Dominion, but it was not by design, but pure.accident that this was so. The reason was that the conditions in the manufacturing country and the Dominion were the same. The manufacturing country had a large borne trade for this class of goods, and was therefore able to make and dispose of these goods to far more advantage than the British manufacturer, where conditions were far different.

STANDARDISATION

Great Britnin in the past had not gone in for standardisation. As an example, he quoted the case nf a British manufacturer of glassware, • who received into his works n cruet-with one bottle broken, which he was asked to make a new bottle for. In any other country the answer would have been, "Buy a new cruet," but not so the British manufacturer. He made a bottle to fit the cruet. They were now going in for standardisation in Britain, and this was going to have a hig effect on our trade. In the past the Home manufacturer had got into an automatic way of running his business, but the war had brought to his . mind that there was something more in business than personal comfort, and that he had a duty to the Empire to perform. The .British Government had always helped in the development of export trade, but they were doing, far more now than ten years ago, when the New Zealand Office wan first opened, and would do stjll more when the war was over. UNDIjR WAR CONDITIONS. One big practical effect of the war fiad been to place British trade on ft good footing. Tin- plants which, had grown out of date had all been replaced, new buildings and factories erected, and all the latest labor-saving appliances installed. This had been rendered-possible by the profits made oiit of good s delivered to the Admiralty and War Office. These two departments were taking practically everything that was produced by British factories at the present time. • He, however, could assure them that the profits were not large. The War Office knew .'to a fraction I the cost of construction and manufacture, i

nnd did not pay any excessive price?, hut simply a percentage on the cost. The volume of business was so big, however, that the earnings of the manufacturers were large. The new machinery that had been installed would, after the war. be able to produce more, than Britain's old customers could take, and so Britain would have to go out into the world to look Cor new markets, and, as a result of standardisation, prices would be cheaper than ever before. DOMINION ORDERS. He had heard of late many complaints that British manufacturers were very lax in the manner in which orders from the Dominions were dealt with. He could as sure them that this was the fault' of the British Government, which at the present time controlled all, or nearly all, the factories in Britain. Of the products of these factories, the British Government first had to have whatever they required; then the remainder, it very small percentage, .was allowed to be exported, but the Government finally said where and in what quant ites these goods should go. They could easily see 'that the manufacturers had n<j ..say whatever. Then he would further point out .to them the fact t.'i a great, many of tlie factories were now ..solely engaged in the manufacture of munitions. The British manufacturer was also patriotic. He knew of instances where, manufacturers had been b'e'seeched by merchants to supply them with goods, and to practically name their own price, but, even although the manufacturers were supplying the Government at a dead loss, they would not do so. It was the foreign'manufacturers who were out after British trade. It was not the Germans so much -we were frightened of, and the British manufacturers know it. He thought that the New Zealand merchants would realise that the war was being fought for New Zealand as well as the Mother Country, and would look over any shortcomings' of the British manufacturers

who were doing - their duty, and that they would jiot eventually lose by doing so,