PROTECTIVE WALL

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 18 November 1929, Page 6

PROTECTIVE WALL

TRADE WITHIN THE EMPIRE. STEPS TO RECIPROCITY. HAWERA RESIDENT’S IMPRESSIONS.

The conviction that- fiscal reform in Great Britain is a matter of vital importance to the Empire was, as intimated to a. “Hawera Star” reporter during the course of an interview on Saturday, an outstanding impression gained by Mr G. R. Horsburgh, of Hawera, during his recent visit to the United Kingdom. As already reported in the “Star,” Mr Horsburgh returned on Wednesday from a tour, during which he visited Australia, Great Britain, and Continental Europe. Some four months of the period were spent in various cities ancl towns of England and Scotland. Mr Horsburgh is a- native of Scotland, and was revisiting the Old World after an absence of 17 years. Naturally he encountered many evidences of change and development. In London and other centres he was amazed in noting the tendency of retail shopkeepers to give preference, in displaying their wares, to foodstuffs ! produced in countries outside the Empire, said Mr Horsburgh. He found 1 repeatedly that such goods, mainly of American production, were displayed to the entire exclusion of similar articles of equal and better value to he had from the British Dominions. Mr Horsburgh referred particularly to tinned fruits, manufactured foods, and honey.

VITAL PRINCIPLE. “It would be unreasonable to expect any shopkeeper to sell only Empire goods, but in view of the manner in which the retailers in the Dominions endeavour to give preference to British manufactures rightful objection may be taken to the generous display given to foodstuffs from foreign markets to the exclusion of Empire products,” said Mr Horsburgh. “There is, however, a smouldering feeling of Imperialism gripping the mind of the British •public, and I am convinced that the political party which is farseeing enough to introduce the needed fiscal reform, and gives sufficiently strong emphasis to the principle, can swing the public mind to accept the erection of a protective wall around the Emmie and, in certain lines, confine the main volume of trade within its boundaries, thus providing absolute reciprocty between the Mother Country and her Dominions. “The Britisher knows that his country was made on free trade, hut conditions have changed greatly since, the days of Cobden. and present adherence to the policy which gave Great Britain her trade might easily prove her downfall.” Discussing with retailers at Home the question of the display given _ to foreign products, Mr Horsburgh pointed out "that, quite apart from any question of sentiment, it could fairly he claimed that from the relative value aspect Australian tinned fruits were at the moment ahead of American. The general excuse was that the public demand was for American.

NEED FOR PUBLICITY. To that Mi- Horsburgh replied that New Zealand and Australia could not escape blame, as neither country was, in his opinion, advertising nearly enough. As a matter of fact lie considered that New Zealand had not started a publicity campaign in the full sense of the term. Sooner or later New Zealand must send to Great Britain experts who thoroughly understood advertising, who were students of psychology and who knew how to appeal to the sentiment and imagination as well as to the business instincts of the British public. A first essential to successful _ trading was to possess the goods, said Mr Horsburgh. The second was to advertise. New Zealand undoubtedly possessed the goods, but was not exploiting advertising to the best advantage. Much could he done by attraet-ively d©signed posters displayed conspicuously and changed frequently, hut the key to successful propaganda was the co-operation of the Press. Occasionally he saw featured in shops a slogan calling attention to Canterhuiy lamb. Prominence was also given sometimes to New Zealand honey, but the general propaganda, ais yet touched only a fringe of the field which it should and would, he believed, eventually cover. COMPARATIVE COSTS.

“You expoi't wheat mainly, don’t you?” was the startling query made by a merchant with whom Mr Horsburgh was discussing New Zealand supplies to the Home markets. As New Zealand’s total export of wheat in the 1927-28 year —the latest period for which returns were available —was only £330 in value, as compared with £18,000,000 in the value of exported dairy produce, £10,000,000 in beef and mutton, and £16,500,000 in wool, the merchant’s query gave convincing indication of the need for more extensive advertising of -New Zealand products. At the same time Mr Horsburgh had been pleased to note the esteem in which New Zealand and New Zealanders are held by people in .all parts of Great Britain.

He had been struck with the high cost of living in England and Scotland, continued Mr Horsburgh, and had noticed that many articles of firstclass quality could be bought •as cheaply in New Zealand as in Great Britain, where they were manufactured. In New Zealand, for instance, English-made shoes of good quality could be purchased at the same price, or very little more, than in England.. Comb honey he noticed on sale from America and Germany at prices from 25 to" 45 per cent above those paid in New Zealand for honey of better quality. Danish bacon was sold at Home at 2s 2d per lb, but was not, in Mr Horsburgh’.s opinion, the equal in quality of the New Zealand article sold in New Zealand at from Is 3d to Is 5d per lb in rashers.

Speaking from liis lengthy experience in the trade, Mr Horsburgh said he thought New Zealand bacon was the equal in quality of all brands seen at Home with the exception of the Wiltshire product, and there l were big possibilities for New Zealand producers in the supply of bacon to the United Kingdom. He had heard of the complaints of fishy flavour in New Zealand pork of last season, but the trouble was probably only a passing phase, and certainly was not insurmountable. Referring to New Zealand’s supply of dairy produce. Mr Horsburgh made the suggestion that boxes carrying bulk butter should be sealed in spell- a wav as to prevent blending with other makes, as there appeared doubts in the mind of the British buyers as to whether, in buying from the hulk supplies, thev were receiving butter not blended with produce of cheaper quality.

BRITISH PROGRESS. An encouraging feature in British trade was the evidence of Britain’s success in overshadowing her competitors in certain lines, notably in the manufacture of aluminium ware and fountain pens. He also learned from a German that even in some lines of toys Germ an v could not compete with English prices, while Air Horsburgh found that, despite the free trade principle, a duty was imposed on German china goods, the result being that Continental manufacturers were suffering and in some centres of Germany china works were closing down. Mr Horsburgh also was gratified to note that throughout England and Scotland British oars dominated those of foreign manufacture., the number of the latter to he seen on the roads being camparaiively few. This had been brought about by the legislation through which taxation was based on horsepower, the British cars gaining the advantage through their lower rating. He had been amused! and dismayed in London over the manner in which foodstuffs were displayed on open street benches giving exposure to the dust of the thoroughfares. SHOPPING ANOMALY. .•Speaking further of shopping conditions, i\lr Horsburgh said tnat during the war period hours had been restricted. Shops were compelled to close earlier tnan previously, though the hours were still longer than in .New Zealand. English shops had to ctose at 7.30 , compared with 5.30 in New Zealand. Retailers at Home 1 , however, were not satisfied .with the comparatively •generous conditions, and one result had been the introduction of wider use of automatic machines from which', in the streets, could be secured 1 almost anything from cigarettes, apples, bananas, fried bacon and eggs, sandwiches and even handkerchiefs. The machines were so perfected that they could give change. “In visiting a young, man who used to live in Hawera, 1 was astonished when lie showed me one of these machines, from which, installed in the house, he could obtain cigarettes,” said Air Horsburgh. The anomaly with the machines, was that when a ’ shopkeeper closed his premises a competitor continued outside the former’s door. PURSUIT OF PLEASURE.

Air Horsburgh said he regretted having been forced to unfavourable conclusions concerning the improvidence or the British public and the apparent, mad rush in the, pursuit of .pleasure and sport. He had known of .Londoners waiting for 36 hours, with reflets, in a queue lor a first night theatrical production, and when visiting Scotland! had noticed on one occasion that the only news featured in the local paper of a large town was the transrer of a prominent footballer to another centre. From the manner in which tiie particular paper displayed the item, a stranger might be led to believe it was a matter of national im■poiitance, said Air Horsburgh. A good feature of the growing love of sport generally had, however, been indicated to Air Horsburgh in the opinion given by a prominent man in the liquor trade, when the fatter said the trade was doomed., as in ithe life of the youth of to-day outdoor recreation was absorbing- the time which his forefathers were wont to spend in hotel bars.

EX-KING AMANULLAH. Air Horsburgh made the trip to the ■Old World principally for health recruiting purposes. It ihad been his intention to visit Germany and Czechoslovakia. but the itinerary had to be curtailed. as he founds unavoidable business details demanded his attention. The trip from New Zealand was made via Australia and the Suez Canal, and the return journey was by way of Panama. i>is>c,Hissing various phases of t»he voyages, Air Horsburgh mentioned that ex-King Ainanwiia.h of Afghanistan, until tine ex-Queen and a party of about 50. were passengers between Bombay and Marseilles on the Orient liner Afootan, on which Air Horsburgh made the voyage to England. A huge congregation of the ex-King’s followers assembled at Bombay and with their wailing farewell afforded an impressive ceremony as the ship left the wharf. . , , , Air Horsburgh was introduced <to the ex-king during the. voyage, and found him to possess an engaging and courteous personality. One of Mr Horsburg’s souvenirs of his tour is the signature of Amanulllnh inscribed: both in Arabic and English.