INTER-IMPERIAL TRADE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17099, 23 February 1916, Page 6

INTER-IMPERIAL TRADE.

Wellington's "patriotic exhibition' js sure to serve* a good purpose in stimulating the people to a- greater preference for local and British manufactures. Sir Joseph Ward, who is a keen man of business and far-seeing, wisely said at the opening of the exhibition that we should be preparing for the commercial war that will follow tlie present military welter. It is beyond argument' that when the sword is sheathed there will be very great readjustments in trading relations, and si far as the Empire is concerned the sentiment of the people will be strongly against goods manufactured or produced in present enemy countries. As, Germany has federalised the .Empire in its determination to win the war, so also has Germany pointed the way to commercial unity. In this connection it is cheering to read of the speech delivered to the New Zealand Club at Wellington yesterday by Mr R. W. Dialton. British Trade Commissioner, and particularly to have his tribute to the British manufacturer. The complaint that- the dominions have been the worst offenders in discrediting the manufactures of the Mother. Country is probably made wiih some justification, but we think New Zealand has been one of the least offenders, for a high percentage of its imports has been steadily from Britain. Last year the position was altered to j»omn extent owing to the dislocation of industry caused by the war, and our imports from the Mother Country necessarily fell while those from the United States of America, necessarily or otherwise, showed an increase. At the present time we are of opinion that something might usefully be done, to restrict imports from America, to which country some New Zealand money is going in the purchase of motor-cars, for instance. At all events, Now Zealand's interest as well as duty lies in the promotion of inter-Imperial trade. It is pleasing to know that our commercial intercourse with Canada is rapidly expanding in both exports and iinports, and this movement will be more noticeable after the war if vigilance is exercised in the meantime to eirwimvent American rivalry. This country has every reason to buy all that it can. however, from Britain, which is its principal and most profitable market, for the products of the land that are the basis of the Dominion's prosperity. Now Zealand has in the. past had the better of the exchange of trade with the United Kingdom. Jn the year immediately before the war. for example, SO per eent of our exports were taken by the Mother Country, 13 per cent by oilier parts of the Empire and 7 per cent by foreign countries. As to imports, however, Britain supplied 60 per cent of our total, the rest of the Empire 2i'i per cent and foreign countries 17£ per cent. The figures may as well he given to help illustrate the point:—

Expert? to Imports from £ £ United Kingdom'. 1P,130;160 13,312.193, Rest of Empire . 3,138.937 . r Foreign countries. 1,720,603' 3,910.053 These, figures may not in themselves prove anything very dreadful, but they do show that Sew Zealand has not distributed its custom in proportion to custom secured. Foreign countries have had the best of it, in short, and what we all desire now is to give ourselves of the British Empire first preference and our Allies in the war the next favourable consideration.