TRADE OF EMPIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19740, 13 September 1927, Page 12

TRADE OF EMPIRE.

NEW OUTLOOK IN BRITAIN.

FIELDS FOR ENTERPRISE.

INTEREST IN DOMINIONS. "British manufacturers are taking a greater interest in Australia and New Zealand as fields for enterprise," said Sir Lennon Raws, president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of Aus tralia, who arrived at Auckland yesterday by the Niagara on his way back to Sydney from England "The conception of tlje Empire as an economic whole is rapidly gaining ground against the old idea of international trade, irrespective of whether it is within the Empiro or not," he said. "So far as the demand for and consumption of Australian and New Zealand products in England are concerned, the problem is that of distribution. The cost of distributing our foodstuffs in Britain is still too high." English people saw no reason why they should be asked to pay more for Empire than foreign products. There was, he believed, an element of reaction, against the appeals to sentiment made by some politicians and others to "buy British," when to do so was expensive. It was difficult to do this at a time when England was poor. Industry in Britain.

One of tho impressions gained by Sir Lennon on his' visit, which was primarily connected with the amalgamation of a number of chemical firms with a nominal capital of £65,000,000, to guard against competition by large German trusts, was that industry tn Britain was patchy. Local trades, serving mainly the English market, were distinctly good, but exporting industries, such as the coal, steel and iron enterprises, were not in such good positions. Trade conditions, however, were not nearly so bad as one was led to believe. For example, in Birmingham he was told that unemployment had been reduced to about the pre-war level. The motor industry, so great a feature of Birming ham, was fairly sound, but mauy of the concerns appeared to be over-capitalised. A welcome was later tendered to Sir Lennon by the Auckland Chamber ol Commerce. Welcoming the visitor, Mr. A. G. Lunn, the president, said everything should be done to bind the ties of commerce between Australia and New Zealand. In this respect the Auckland Chamber of Commerce would do all it could. Peace and Commerce. Replying, Sir Lennon said two years ago ho discussed with representatives of New Zealand chambers of commerce the question of closer co-ordination between the Associated Chambers of Commerce of Australia and New Zealand. The Asso ciated Chambers of Australia had decided to join with the International Chamber of Commerce, and he did not see why New Zealand should not join with Australia and become a member of the international body. "We felt it was desirable to put all the weight we had behind an organisa tion endeavouring to approach tho ideals of international peace through commer cial channels," he said. "The value of such a body lies in reports on all sub jects of interest furnished by the permanent commission with headquarters in Paris." x In Europe and the United Kingdom there was a real desire among leading commercial men to aim at an international peace, *so far as commercial interest were concerned, at any rate. The great trouble in Europe to-day lay in the smaii States, many of which had been crfeated as a result of the war, erecting tariff barriers. There was a feeling that until these barriers were removed there could not be complete peace in Europe Sir Lennon intimated that when he returned to Australia he would make it his busi ness to see that New Zealand was in vited to join with Australia and become a member of the international body He said trade between New Zealand and Australia should be encouraged be cause the two countries had mutual in terests. He felt the difficulty in the past had been in allowing politicians and Governments to utep in. This was probably due in large measure to t!ie< war, when they got into the habit of going to the Government to have things done.