IMPORTS FROM RUSSIA

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 308, 26 November 1932, Page 5

IMPORTS FROM RUSSIA

(Contributed By N.Z. Welfare League) There is an old saying that a British merchant would trade with the devil if he could see a profit. The governing “if” is of importance when we come to deal with Soviet Bussia.

For years it has been argued that the morals of Communism are no concern of the trader, that Russia is naturally wealthy and it would be folly in these hard times to turn from any new opening for trade. This is quite true provided such trade is on sound and reciprocal lines, hut at present this is not tho position. Every effort is now being made to encourage Empire trade, every part of the Empire is up' against unemployment. So far as -New Zealand is concerned it is of the most vital importance that our overseas consumers should prosper so as to bo able to purchase our produce, yet statistics snow that New Zealand is greatly increasing its imports from Russia of certain lines of goods manufactured within the Empire. Sound reciprocal trade is quite another matter, but the present system is not sound for it does not even carry the advantage of “profit” which may be a governing factor. Every purchase we make from Russia at a lower price than we could buy from the Empire countries takes so much business from our friends for the advantage of a declared enemy. Traders should rememer that Soviet goods are produced under a centralised State monopoly which has compulsion as its basis, whereas Empire goods are produced under a system of free exchange, free competition and better labour conditions. They should remember that they are purchasing goods at prices bearing no relation to the true cost of production and thereby undermining industries attempting to pay proper wages and to run oil sound lines.

Apart from this they are assisting a country whose agents are in the Dominion and who receive monetary aid from abroad to help them to disorganise our local industries by stirring up industrial strife. This latter aspect is of itself important, but even those who are blind enough to ignore that side of the question should see that to purchase goods which undercut the prioes of our best customers is not “good business.”