TRUE RECIPROCITY

Kaikoura Star, Volume LIV, Issue 54, 12 July 1934, Page 3

TRUE RECIPROCITY

NEW ZEALAND TRADE WITH SCOTLAND. True Empire reciprocity was the keynote sounded on May 14, at engage- ' inents which Sir James Pari High Commissioner for New Zealand, fulfilled in Glasgow at the invitation of ' the Clyde Navigation Trust. In the course of his visit Sir James made a tour of the various markets in the city, and investigated the possibilities for increased trade between New Zealand and Scotland. Sir A. Steven Bilsland, president of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, speaking at a dinner which he gave in honour of Sir James Parr, said he was convinced that despite difficulties of ' adjustment there was no reason why, in the spirit of Ottawa, a sound Em-pire-trading policy could not be carried into operation. He also expressed the J view that the more New Zealand decentralised marketing from London the more rapidly would that Dominion find increased outlets in Scotland. INCREASED IMPORTATION. The lord Provost, in proposing the health of Sir James Parr, said that in the past five years the sale of New Zealand goods in Scotland hail increas- 1 ed between 1928 and 1933 two and a ' half times. To those who thought that nothing could be done to improve fur- 1 ther the consumption of New Zealand 1 products except through London he f would say that that was not the case. If New Zealand wanted to increase the sale of its products in Glasgow and 1 the West of Scotland its rcprcsentafives must realise that ir Glasgow, where they had the finest river in the world, the merchants and oistributors ' could not handle those products sue- ‘ cessfully if they had to receive them 1 through London. If New Zealand goods were to com to Scotland all waste must be elimin- 1 ated; and he thought they would admit that it was waste when there were charges of £3, £5, or £6 per ton added 1 to the products brought through London. On Clydeside they had a method of ' putting products into the hands of consumers without any waste of time or 1 money, and there was no community which was developing the Empire feel- I ing more than Glasgow and the West i of Scotland. PLIGHT OF FARMERS. Sir James Parr, in responding, said that while New Zealand were grateful ; for the increased consumption of its goods in Scotland in the last five years, it wanted to send more and more of its products to this country. In connection with the campaign which he was inaugrating that day, he wished to say that Glasgow would not be in want of New Zealand goods. New Zealand to-day was fairly prosperous. Wool had reached an excellent price. The Dominion’s cheque for that commodity last year was £4,000,000; it was over £12,000,000 this year.( Applause). Meat was also fetching a much improved price. But there was a cloud in the horizon. “We are sad at heart about our dairy produce. There are 40,000 farmers in New Zealand working to make the best butter and cheese in the world. “Every pound of cheese and butter and every piece of meat is inspected and critically graded by Government officers, so that nothing but the best quality will reach your countiy. Yet, alas, those 40,000 farmers are on the verge of .bankruptcy, so low are the prices obtained in this countiy. “On their behalf we say, Do your best in the coming drive in the sale of New Zealand goods.” Two-thirds of the whole production of the North Island was essentially dairy produce. Foreign Competition. Was it quite right while New Zealand was producing the best dairy goods in the world that 40 per cent, of the butter which was eaten in this country was brought from foreign countries? Although it would be improper for him to make any statement upon Empire Free Trade, he would venture to point out that one-half or die goods which Great Britain sent to New Zealand came in absolutely free of duty, while the remaining half was subject only to a revenue tariff. In the last six years Clyde yards had turned out seven great ships for use exclusively in the New Zealand trade. Two more were being built at present. That meant that the produce of New Zealand was being brought to this country in British ships manned by British crews. Ninety per cent, of their foreign competitors used foreign ships and foreign crews. He suggested that the Scottish farmer must come first in Scotland. No New Zealand farmer would deny that, but it would be many a long day before the Scottish farmer would be able to feed the people of his own country seven days in the week. He would suggest that “after your own farmers have had the pick of the lucky bag, the dominions should come next, and the foreigner a good long way behind.” (Laughter and applause). Furthering British Interests. bir Godfrey Collins, in a short speech, said he was glad Sir James Parr had struck the note that Scotland must first of all look to her own people, secondly to our overseas Dominions, and afterwards to other countries. He thought that that was also the view ot the Government. Agriculture was still the greatest industry in Scotland, employing more people and producing more wealth than any other industry in the country. He looked forward with complete confidence that when the members of the British Commonwealth of Nations sat down to consider mutual trade they would have but one desire, and that* would be to further the interest of the members of that Commonwealth wherever they were situated. On the motion of Mr W. V. Robertson a vote of thanks was accorded to the Lord Provost. “Not a Pawn for Politicians.”

The development of Empire reciprocity was urged at a dinner given in honour of Sir James Parr by Sir A. Steven Bilsland, Bt., president of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, in the evening in the Central Station Hotel. The occasion was a truly Empire one, the foods and wines being entirely products of the Colonics and the homeland.

Sir Steven Bilsland, in proposing the toast of “Empire Reciprocity,” said that the barriers to trade constituted the world’s greatest problem to-day. There was no section of which the recovery of external trade was more necessary to-day than that great Commonwealth of Nations, the British Empire, and there was no part of that section in which there was more need to have thought and courage and vision with regard to the future than our own homeland. Unfortunately trado policy had its political side, but nothing could bo more disastrous for the future of the Empire than that our trade policy should become a pawn amongst political parties. Foreign Trade. As their friends throughout the Empire knew well, they in Britain could not afford by a stroke of the pen to cut off their foreign friends from their trading facilities. He -was sure that no thinking person in New Zealand imagined for a moment that they could do that but he was equally convinced that despite the difficulties of adjustment there was no reason w’hy, in the spirit of Ottawa, there should not be worked out on a business footing a sound trading policy which could be carried into operation. (Applause).

The ultimate aim of such a policy as regards New Zealand, for instance, should be the widest and freest sale of New Zealand products in this country, consistent with, of course, a balanced and practical home agricultural policy. When they realised that New Zealand, whose population approximated to the population of Glasgow, even in these times of depressed values, was buying £9,500,000 of our goods, all carried, as our exports were carried, in British bottoms, and when wo visualised the possibilities in more favourable times of New Zealand taking more of our population, he thought they would realise that the expansion of Empire trade demanded our careful consideration. They hoped that New Zealand would long continue to be their best customer per head of the population, and that in return means would be found to develop her primary producing industries and to find a satisfactory outlet for her goods in the home market.

That great question had Icon occupying the thought and care of the Gias- ■ gow Chamber of Commerce and the - Clyde Navigation Trust. They in Scot- • land had their own difficulties, and they ■ felt that New Zealand had not given a - decentralisation of marketing in Scot- ( land all the attention it deserved. He had been glad to learn from Sir James . Parr of the progress that had been - made in opening up new outlets for New Zealand products in Glasgow*, and he would like to pay a warm tribute to the work which had been cone in , that connection in the last few* years , by the Clyde Navigation Trust. After emphasising the value of personal contact with the traders of the Colonies and Dominions, Sir Steven said he believed that the more New Zealand decentralised marketing from London the more rapidly would she find increased outlets. He would like Empire visitors to this country, when making business inquiries, to give the Clyde area and Scotland generally an opportunity of showing what they could do. They claimed in Scotland as regards prices, quality, and workmanship that their goods compared favourably with any other part of Britain. “Give us an opportunity,” said Sir Steven, “to do our best to ensure true reciprocity.” In conclusion Sir Steven spoke of the pamphlet, “True Reciprocity,” which had been issued by the Chamber of Commerce and the Clyde Navigation Trust, which details the industries carried on in Glasgow and the names of the firms connected with these industries, and expressed the hope <hat many of those booklets would find their way into the hands of visitors from overseas in the coming months. Sir James Parr, in responding, said that the booklet which had been placed in his hands was a most valuable guide to the industries of Glasgow and West of Scotland, and he added that he would take 100 copies with him in order to show those business people from overseas whom he would meet what could be done in Scotland. Unfortunately, he said, the tendency had been to send those people to somebody at Birmingham or Manchester. That was the tendency in London. They did not think that there were otnur places north of Birmingham. (Laughter). In the British Empire they had all the natural resources they required for the comfort and happiness of man. He hoped that no policy would be so weak as to dictate in these circumstances a stand-still Empire. Any policy which said that they must stop developing undeveloped countries with the finest possibilities in the world could surely not be a sound policy. Surely the soundest policy w*as to deal more and more with themselves in the Empire, and develop the resources of the great estate which was their heritage Trade between Britain and foreign countries in products which the Colonics and Dominions could supply hit such countries as New Zealand “right in the eye,” and consequently meant decreased orders for British goods. That remark must not, however, be taken in any way as a criticism of courageous and right policy of Mr Elliot to give the British farmers a living in their own country. But after the farmers in Great Britain had got a living he begged that the hard-working and poorly paid farmers of New Zealand should be given the next chance. Therefore, he would appeal for a voluntary preference for New Zealand goods, which was far bet- [ ter than a statutory preference and . was built up by good will and love. On the motion of the Lord Provost a vote of thanks was accorded to Sir Steven Bilsland for his hospitality.