BRITAIN’S RECOVERY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 17, 18 December 1935, Page 16

BRITAIN’S RECOVERY

EVIDENCE IN INDUSTRY. MANUFACTURERS BUSY. AYELLINGTON, Dec. IS. “In the course of my tour I visited 20 of the more important commercial centres of the United Kingdom, and saw something like 450 representatives of various manufacturing interests, and almost without exception these men showed astonishing interest in New Zealand, 1 ’ remarked Mr It. Boulter; C.M.G., His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner in Neiv Zealand, who returned by the ltangitane, which arrived in AYellington last evening. In Great Britain there was a very wide interest in the progress New Zealand was making toward recovery, and a sincere hope that the country would be able to buy an increasingly large volume of Home manufactures. So far as the trend toward improved conditions in the United Kingdom was concerned, Mr Boulter was particularly pleased to find considerable activity in the manufacture of goods of metal. Factories in many parts were extremely busy. In Sheffield they had more work in hand than at any time since 1929. That was true also of other centres which specialised in metal working. Such a position was largely due to the steady development of motor vehicles, to satisiaetory agreements between steel manufacturers in England with those on the Continent, and to some extent also to an improvement in the ship-building trade. Wool centres were all reasonably busy; the trend in this direction was indicated quite firmly by prices at the w’ool sales. Lancashire was not quite so happily situated, but was still busy. Artificial silk was still increasing in use. At Nottingham and Leicester, where knitted fabrics of different kinds were specialised in, workers were very busy. Conditions at Glasgow were very much better tlian for some time past, and at Belfast the linen manufacturers were also actively engaged. One of the striking features noticed on his tour was the capacity of the Home market to expand. It provided an unexpected power to absorb labour. There was a fairly general improvement in trading conditions at Home, and everywhere better times were anticipated. It was recognised, however, that the ultimate fruition of efforts toward recovery could only be achieved ■when trade banders were done away with.

Although not directly concerned with the primary products from New Zealand, Mr Boulter said he had a number of inquiries for New Zealand butter and he was pleased to say that some very appreciative references were made concerning tlie quality.