TRADING WITH GERMANY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18374, 14 April 1923, Page 13

TRADING WITH GERMANY.

QUESTION OF RESUMPTION. NOT VIEWED FAVOURABLY. ' [BI TELEGRAPH. OWN' CORRESPONDENT.] ' CHEISTCHURCH, Friday. [•• At a meeting of the executive of the .;: Canterbury Industrial Association, a letter 3, .• was read from the Comptroller of Cusjj toms regarding the lifting of tho prohibition on the importation of goods from J Germany and Austria on September 1. 1825, The chairman said he thought : there was a tendency to forget the object -, >, of the British .Empire Exhibition— fostering of trade within the Empire. If trade were resumed with Germany and ,■•■'. < Austria those countries would endeavour to obtain' the same position as they held * prior to the war. It did not matter about the indemnity. The Dominion was [.': going to lose the £30,000.000 duq to it. I Mr. Best said cheap German boots were 5' ;0, competing successfully against boots of h'mi English manufacture. During December, W*' f >i: : -' January and February, boots and shoes i 'had been imported of a total value of I £340.000. Of this total. probably £300,000 worth could have been.made in the Dominion. One of the largest boot factories in Auckland had closed down, and there was not a factory in Auckland : that could work full time. '..;■■', Mr. Wyles explained the attitude taken ; by the Chamber of Commerce on the subject and said that if it had been a question to bo dealt with fjj*gn the individual point of view no member of the chamber would agree .to buy German :■ •; . poods. In agreeing to the resumption of , German trade, the- chamber had expressed the opinion that the lifting of the embargo should be hedged with conditions which would prevent Germany ;:. attaining the domination in the world's trade she attained before the war. Mr. Woodroffe said he agreed with the ; ; report as far, as it went, but. it did not .go far.enough. The association should not countenance the lifting of the embargo :' until, every industrialist in the Dominion , knew the measure of protection his particular industry' would receive against ■ ■■.-' "goods of German manufacture. Eventually I ' it was decidpd to refer'the matter to a i special committee. '..;,.'.''