EMPIRE TRADE EFFORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19916, 9 April 1928, Page 7

EMPIRE TRADE EFFORT.

CAMPAIGN IN CANADA. EVERY STORE ASKED TO HELP. [FROM OUB OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] TORONTO, Feb. 23. The most spectacular campaign to influence the purchasing habits of the nation ever attempted in Canada will be launched with an "Empire Shopping Week," to be held April 21 to April 28. Every store and shop from the Atlantic to the Pacific has been asked £o co-operate in the display and sale of Empire products—Canadian products first, but with the next preference to products from the British Isles and other parts of the Empire. There have been recently "Empire Shopping Week " and " Made in Canada Weeks" in individual stores or cities, but never before a campaign of the kind organisod on a national scale. The advisory committee includes representatives of great national organisations such as the National Council of Women, the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire, tho Retail Merchants' Association, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Trade and Labour Congress, and the Canadian Manfacturers' Association. These are important organisations which enter into the life of practically every community in the country, and their combined influence should be impressive. The main slogan of the campaign, which appears on all the literature, and will later be blazoned on banners, streamers, billboards and newspapers, is:—"Empire Buyers are Empire Builders." A glance at the trade returns reveals the underlying reason for such a campaign in Canada. Despite Canada's protection tariff, with its British preference featuro, despite Imperial sentiment, despite the unfriendliness to Canadian products of the United States tariff, imports into Canada from its neighbour to the south continue to grow by leaps and bounds, while imports from Great Britain and other parts of tho Empire ha,ve difficulty in holding their own. In 1927 Canada bought goods from tho United States to tho value of £141,454,092, or £93,376,901 more than tho total purchases by Canada in the whole of the British Empire outsido Canada. Thus United States purchases amounted to £l4 a head for tho entire population. An Empire Shopping Week is designod to combat this condition. Its influence is expected to last far beyond tho week, and to create a permanent channel of sale. While Canadian-made goods that compete with United States and other foreign imports will bo featured during the campaign, the main emphasis.of tho.-week is expected to bo placed on British imports, particularly textiles and other lines for which the British Isles are famous. This will be a response to the compliment paid Canadian produce in the British Isles in the activities there of the Empire Marketing Board, which has an annual grant of £1,000,000 to promote the salo'of Empire products. Accompanying Empire Shopping Week, apart from the regular newspaper advertisements, will bo a great campaign of publicity, which will include fancy dress balls, carnivals, addresses to luncheon clubs, radio talks, freo travel tickets and gifts, window-dressing pifzes, baby contests and other features. The time is regarded as singularly opportune. Canada s per capita wealth is now third in all the world,, and the recent , season was tho best in history.- The organisers say tliey believe that the movement will develop inter-<provincial trade, intensify inter-Imperial economic relations and strengthen the bonds of Empire. INDIAN TEA INDUSTRY. ABNORMALLY DRY* SEASON. (Received April 8, 5.35 p.m.) A. and N.Z. DELHI, April 7. The Indian Tea Association of Calcutta has cabled as followers to London regarding the crop prospects:—Weather abnormally dry in all districts and rain is badly wanted, THE ROMA OIL. BORE.. INQUIRIES IN AMERICA. A circular to shareholders of the Roma Oil Corporation, Ltd., gives a • synopsis of a letter from Mr. Tim bury, one of the directors, who is in the United States conducting investigations on behalf of the company. Mr. Timbury wrote that after ascertaining the gravity of one of tha* samples of oil from tho Roma bore, in Queensland, and the distillation range, experts with whom he conferred expressed an opinion that the oil was not a condensate, but a natural oil. Gas had been obtained from' the bore from the Bi-in. casing, in which the pressure was about 5001b. to tho square inch. Mr. Timbury's information was that if the gas were run through absorbers at a pressure of about 1001b. a much higher yield than 1.2 pints to 1000 ft. of gas would be obtained. Mr, Timbury also alluded to numerous instances of gas bores having become oil producers. The information tiQ be gained from the company's next bore, he stated, would probably indicate the correct course to be adopted with the No. 1 bore. The circular adds that the board has decided to buy a gas absorption plant, which should be installed on the field within the next three months. The average oil ■ production of the well during March increased to 18 per cent. AUSTRALIAN GOLD YIELD. A FURTHER SHRINKAGE. Australia's gold yield for 1927 shows that the output of tho mines has continued to shrink, although production for the 12 months does not show so great a contraction as in previous years. The state of the industry in Victoria is unsatisfactory, the yield for the year showing a decline of 10,5400z. fine. The figures for Queensland reveal an expansion of 14,3980z., which was due to the resumption of treatment operations at the Mount Morgan mine earlier in the year, in preparation for liquidation. The output in Western Australia has fallen by about 29,0000z. ' . The following is a comparison of gold yields of Australia for the last three years:— J 1925. 1926. 1927. Oz. Oz. ,Oz. Victoria . • '• • 47,290 49,078 38,538 Now South Wales . 19,422 . 19,43.> 18,032 Queensland . . •• 44,332 9,086 33.833 Western Australia . 440,818 437,343 408,350 South Australia .. 780 780 1,200 Tasmania ■. • • 2,800 3,707 5.104 Totals . • 655.448 519,429 505,057 Tho value of the Commonwealth output is about £2.140,000, compared with £2.209,000 in the previous year. New Zealand figures for last year are not vet, available, but the exports of gold in 1927 were 130,1710z., valued at £534.639. as acrainst 125.7770z., valued at £516,207 in 1926. and 114,6960z., valued at £472,364, in 1925. ■ ih- / - ■ \y CHICAGO WHEAT MARKET. (Received April 8, 5.5-p.m.) A. and N.Z. CHICAGO, April 7. Wheat. —May, 1 dollar cents per bushel; July, 1 dollar cents; September, 1 dollar 40 3-8 cepts*