Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1913. TRADE WITH GREAT BRITAIN.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 17 October 1913, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1913. TRADE WITH GREAT BRITAIN.

NEW ZEALANDERS, as far as lies in their power, prefer to trade with Great Britain, for they feel that by so doing they are acting in a patriotic manner. We do not mean to say that they are prepared to lose money in any trading with the Mother Country. That would be unbusinesslike and unreasonable, and would not be expected of them by British merchants. But other things being equal, it is undeniably the .fact that they strongly .prefer to make their purchases in Great Britain. This preference is borne testimony to by the report furnished to the Board -of' Trade by Mi' W. G. Wickham, British Trade Commissioner foi- New Zeahmd., While the value of goods subject to this discrimir nating tariff that were, .imported last year amounted to £6,476,752, the British Empire supplied imports absorbing £5,167,397* of the amount, the United Kingdom' providing the lion's share to the value of £4,346,018. Apart from goods in respect to which there tis; preferential treatment there were imports to the value of £13,785,829, of which the United Kingdom supplied, over 55 per cent.

The "Otago Daily Times," which.has made a very, interesting summary of the report, points out appropriately that it has to be borne in mind, in any consideration of the share of the total New Zealand trade that is taken by the United Kingdom, that certain large groups of products imported • by this country are of a kind in respect to which the Old Country cannot compete, since she. has herself to import these things. In general, buyers, in New Zealand are credited .by Mr Wickham with manifesting a.preference for British goods. The Government as the purchaser for State departments, and municipal bodies and Harbour Boards prominently specify that the supplies they require shall be of British origin; there are retail and wholesale firms that will not handle anything but British goods wherever this is possible; and the /purcliasing public includes 'those who will put ' themselves to considerable trouble in order to ensure that what they require shall be of British make. There is -however, another aspect. "I have met firms," says the Trade Commissioner, "who, having as they think been badly treated in the past, whether over agency arrangements or over shipments of bad quality goods, and having magnified their grievances into sweeping and wholesale statements against British methods of business, announce a determination to procure all future requirements from foreign countries-" ***** These fortunately seem an isolted case, but Mr Wickham has discovered that there is a much more serious and more common attitude, traceable in some cases to indubitable facts, but facts of a past day. Ho writes: "The belief that British makers cannot make good boots, for instance, is, I think, dead; I have not heard it expressed for some years. But the view is widely held that British mak- I ers in certain directions need not be taken seriously. When views of this | kind have got entrenched behind conservative instincts, nothing but an explosion will dislodge them." A number of illustrations are offered to show that per- ( sons can still be found prepared to, maintain, in defiance of facts, that owing J to lack of initiative British, manufac- J

turers cannot or will not make certain articles suitable for the dominion market These instances, Mr Wickham suggests/ go to show how hard it is to dislodge foreign competition once it is firmly rooted,, and especially so when it takes the form of being first in the field with a new article. Such.a reflection, it is pointed out, casts a sidelight on the tardiness which is said to be shown by British manufacturers in recognising their opportunities under the new American tariff law, the result Toeing that the- representatives of Continental firms have stolen a march upon them by being first in the field. Allowing that preference for the known and approved article, or for the country that first invented and perfected an article, is up to a point excusable, Mr Wickham finds it less easy to condone the "curiously widespread ignorance as to comparative prices and their composition," which he appeals to have discovered in New Zealand. ***** With the exception of importers' who clear vtheir own goods through, .the Customs, few people in New Zealand, he complains, seem to have any idea as to what goods are dutiable and what are not. The "Times" urges that New Zealand buyers should give this point more attention. The Trade Commasioner.has also some straightforward advice to extend to the exporter on the other side of the world. "Rightly or wrongly, British manufacturers have in the past," he observes," acquired a reputation for not allowing for the whims and prejudices of their customers. To those few who still' afford justification 'for statements of this kind it may be pointed out that prejudice on the part of the customer, while, acting as a rampart. against the. manufacturer who would invade a market, acts also as an entrenchment for the' manufacturer who has got in. It is only by humouring these prejudices, and, wherever possible, accepting instead of scoffing at conditions and stipulations which seem to be absurd, that the password to the defences may be obtained.": It is well .that such reports should, be made, for it is only by the pointing out of faults on . both sides after careful examination .has been, made .that unsatisfactory conditions can.be remedied withany degree of security. The greater .the extent of Empire trade, the better it is for all concerned ;. but this, must be built up on a solid business basis. The great fact is that conditions exist for so doing.