PAN-BRITISH EXHIBIT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15518, 28 January 1914, Page 11

PAN-BRITISH EXHIBIT

1815 CELEBRATIONS,

APPEAL TO THE DOMINIONS.

Dntou ora own 'cobkesfondent,] London, December 19. Thesi will be many who will view with misgivings the determination of the promoters to hold the British Dominions Exhibition of 1915 at the Crystal Palace, but there will not be many who will not heartily endorse the exhibition project itself. *

There is no . need to recapitulate the many memories and anniversaries which the exhibition is intended to perpetuate— the 700 th anniversary of Magna Charta, the centenary of Waterloo and peace with the United States, the majority of the Prince of Wales, the next Imperial Conference, and so on. Sir Pieter StewartBam, the originator of the idea, explained that the use of the Crystal Palace was intended to commemorate the early interest of Prince Albert in international exhibitions. He said:— exhibition, in which it is stipulated that every exhibit shall be a manufacture or product of some part of the Empire, will, it is hoped, focus attention on the future of trade and commerce within the Empire by means of conferences, and both will, we believe, receive a great impetus from a display in friendly competition. In the concourse of people drawn to the metropolis of the Empire in 1915 there will be a unique opportunity for reviewing our Imperial blessings and our Imperial responsibilities." Lord Sputhwark offered the wholehearted support of the London Chamber of Commerce, of which he is president.

Mr. T. Mackenzie (High Commissioner for New Zealand) said he thought the British manufacturer had before him the keenest competition which had ever engaged his attention. Apart from the evidence of the concentration and specialisation promoted by the Germans and Americans, the policy now pursued by the United States of lowering in many instances -her tariff, and in other instances of taking off the duty altogether, concurrent with the opening of tHe Panama Canal, would change the channels and currents of commerce to an extent which even the most experienced could hardly determine. In an'article which he read recently a scale of distances was worked out indicating how much nearer certain peoples would be brought by that highway to Britain, but it should not be overlooked that, while it lessened the distance of these places to Britain, it gave to the United States of America over the countries bordering on the Pacific an enormous advantage compared to that which Britain would i secure. The Americans had barred Australian and New Zealand products from entering their country, by reason of the high tariff, but that tariff was now lessened or removed, and that would mean the securing of a' return cargo to such vessels as took American goods to Australia and New Zealand. Bat America, owing to the increase of her population, had ceased to be a. food-exporting country, and she was now on the list of foodimporting countries.

Regarding the exhibition itself, Mr. Mackenzie said he was, not,, in a position to say what the Government of New Zealand would do. He, however, : felt"; that, if conducted on proper lines,.the exhibition should enable the overseas people to present their manufactured articles in such a. way as would secure a better appreciation,, distribution, and consumption of that Which they produced. . The London Chamber of Commerce should Ibe thanked for the 'great energy they had shown in establishing triennial conferences in different parts of the world. The work done by the commercial intelligence branch of the Board of Trade must: also , ba acknowledged. Its enterprising trade commissioners in different parts of the world!had supplied most valuable information which merchants were not slow to appreciate, and as an indication,of .the. good work it was doing he might mention that that department replied to no fewer than 16,000 letters , yearly from those seeking information regarding future prospects .of trade. The present position. was interesting and hopeful, and great changes were in the womb of futurity. Other representatives . spoke encouragingly regarding the prospects of assistance from the other Dominions. Mr. Mackenzie has become a vice-president of the exhibition.