H.M. TRADE COMMISSIONER.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 265, 25 October 1916, Page 2

H.M. TRADE COMMISSIONER.

MR. DALTON’S VISIT TO HASTINGS.

Mr. R. Dalton, H.M. Trade Commissioner in New Zealand, arrived in Hastings this morning and was met by the members of the Chamber of Commerce at the Chamber’s rooms.

The President, Mr. G. Ebbett, extended a hearty welcome to the Com-J missioner, and said Chamber would ) be pleased to assist him in obtaining all j possible information during his visit. I Mr. Dalton thanked the members for their courtesy, and in the course of a conversational address, said his pur-; pose was to find out as much as pos- j sible the trade requirements of the' Dominion and to report- to the British j manufacturer. In order to do this work i proptrly was necessary for him to 1 travel the Dominion and get into touch ; with individual business men and to. learn of their requirements and suggestions. In discussing the various trade matters, the difficulties, said the speaker, were very great at present, as owing to the war, foreign manufacturers were cutting in. They would not know industrial England to-day. Many factories had sprung up that never before existed. lhe manufacturers know they were losing a great deal of trade since the war began, owing to supplying the needs of the Government* and their profits were very small. The profits obtained from “the VVai' Office were nothing as compared to what they could have made in the ordinary way of business, but they considered* it their duty to supply the War Office, and this they were doing cheerfully, and notwithstanding the fact that they were .osinj* business. After the war,* he felt sure the New Zealand merchant would return to the English manufacturer. The British manufacturer, with improved machinery, would produce ail that was required, and they would remain loyal to their former customers. The position at Home after the war would be so different as to be hardly understandable. England was not .osing her trade before the war broke out. Her trade was fast returning to her. Her standardisation was becoming more complete. Some of the criticisms levelled against the British manufacturer were absolutely unjustifiable. Even if the war had "not taken place England would have gone forward and Germany gone back.

In reply to a question by Mr. E. S. Cliff, the Commissioner said the Eagle pencil was made in England, and not in America, as many people were led to suppose. In answer to another question Mr. Dalton said that very often British manufacturers placed their agencies in wrong hands, with the result that the agents asked exorbitant profits, much to the detriment of the manufacturer’s business.. It was his business to find these matters out, and to communicate with the manufacturer. Various other matters of interest were discussed, at the conclusion of which a hearty vote of thanks, on the motion of the Mayor, was passed to Mr Dalton, for the very instructing information he had given them.