TRADE ORGANISATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16876, 14 June 1918, Page 7

TRADE ORGANISATION.

NEW IMPERIAL DEPARTMENT.

OFFICIALS IX DOMINIONS.

Some interesting light is thrown upon the efforts which Great Britain is making for the extension of her trade relations, both with her Overseas Dominions and with foreign countries, by the account given by Mr. G. T. Milne, hitherto His Majesty's Trade Commissioner in Australia, who is now in Auckland. For the last five years Mr. Milne has been stationed in Melbourne, and he is at present on his way to Montreal to take up the position of senior commissioner in Canada.

Until quite recently all matters connected with British commerce abroad came within the sphere of the Board of Trade, but about six months ago a now department was created, which is officially known as the Department of Overseas Trade, and which is to combine in regard to commercial matters the activities hith erio carried on by both the Board of Trade and the Foreign Office. It establishment has led to the throwing of new energy into the organisation of the Empire for commercial purposes.

Ono indication of the augmented activity of the Department is the appointment of an increased number of commercial representatives in the Dominions. Until lately the Imperial Trade Department have had only four outlying agents-the British Trade Commissioners in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. 'the number is now being increased to 16, of whom four are to be stationed in Canada, two in Australia, two in South Africa, two in India, one in th» West Indies, and one in the Straits Settle merits. There wfll also be a permanent officer in London, who has already had experience in the Dominions.

As to the functions of the commissioners, Mr. Milne states that they hold a brief iii the Dominions for the British manufacturer and exporter. Their duty is to promote British trade in every possible way, and it seems to him likely that their range will, in the future, he materially extended. Until now they have practically confined their attention to British exports to the Dominions, watching for evidence as to where foreign competition has been growing in British territory at the expense of our own manufacturers, studying the methods by which the foreign competitor has achieved success, and constantly advising their head office of opportunities for the extension of British trade. While the importers and manufacturers of the Dominions have been keen in their desire to keep in touch with the Home markets, the manufacturer of Great Britain has not, unless he has had direct representation in the outlying parts of the Empire, been as well informed as is desirable, in regard to the trend of competition. The new department is endeavouring to assist the manufacturers and British exporters in finding markets, by way of supplementing, rather than supplanting, the existing organisations and agencies. Commercial attaches appointed to British embassies and legations will carry on in foreign countries the same kind of work as trade, commissioners perform in the. Dominions and dependencies.