BRITAIN'S TRADE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25347, 31 October 1945, Page 9

BRITAIN'S TRADE

EXPORTS AND IMPOETS PROBLEM TO BE GRAPPLED (0.C.) CHTtISTCHTJRCH, Tuesday "Britain has to export if we are to get the imports which are the food of our people and the raw material of onr factories, for if we do not export we do not eat and cannot work," said the High Commissioner for the United Kingdom, Sir Patrick Duff, in addressing the annual conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce in Christchurch today. So that everything could go into munitions production, Britain had sacrificed her export trade. She had cut down still further on production for] export after lend-lease had assured her a steady flow of munitions, war materials and food, and she had switched still more men and women into the forces and to war production until, in all, nearly 1,500,000 men and women were transferred from work in the export trades. Many Markets Lost The supplying of various countries by joint planning from Washington meant that Britain may have been called on to increase supplies to one country and cut supplies to other countries more easily served, perhaps, from the United States, said Sir Patrick. In this way some of Britain's oldest customers had been cut oif from their normal source of supply. Because of this, and because Britain gave an undertaking not to export any article containing material received under lend-lease, Britain had lost many markets that might be difficult to recover.

The United Kingdom had parted with the bulk of its overseas investments to buy war supplies and lost a great part 'of its merchant shipping. These were important considerations, because it was by interest on overseas investments and by earnings of her shipping that Britain had financed a large part of her imports before the war. Investments and Shipping

"It will not be enough merely to get our foreign trade back to the level of because then we had overseas investments and shipping earnings to make up the deficit, and these have mostly disappeared," said Sir Patrick. "Merely to maintain our imports at their pre-war amount, we shall have to increase the volume of exports at least 50 per cent over that of 1938, which means, at present prices, nearly trebling their value. Even this allows nothing for the repayment of war debts." The speaker outlined Britain's part, as the world's greatest market, in keeping up the standard of living ol other countries by offering the biggest outlet for their exports. In contrast to what he termed the "dark side of the picture," he pointed to the way in which industries bad displayed adaptability and had hastened their preparations to resume full-scale production.

SCIENCE AND SOCIETY NEEDS OF COMMUNITY UTILISATION OF KNOWLEDGE (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday Science was being increasingly utilised within the community, said Professor L. R. Richardson in his presidential address at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Association of Scientific Workers. An entirely new organisation of scientists, he said, was developing throughout the world to meet the new problems of science which had arisen from the impact of society on science. The- New Zealand organisation was designed in its machinery and intent to cope with problems arising in the zone of conflict between the laboratory and society. This was no new field of battle, he said. Individuals in older generations of scientists had fought valiantly _ for science in this field, but the political weakness of the individual had prevented the achievement of the results necessary for the harmonious progress of relationships between society and science. In brief, the association, together with its fellow bodies, was designed to bring a sounder application of science to the needs of the community and to build a better .world for scientists to work and live in. The following officers were elected: President. Professor L. R. Richardson; vice-presi-dent' Mr N. T. Clare; secretary, Mr I. McDow'all; treasurer, Mr R. L. Oliver. Council: Drs L. Bastings and I. V. Newman, Messrs K. G. Bullous!! A. J. Healy, I>. W. McKrnzie, M. O'Connor. J. T. Salmon, V. 1) Zotov

SAWMILLERS' OUTPUT PRODUCTION FACTORS (P.A.) DUNEDIN, Tuesday Sawmillers could expand production considerably more than at present, stated a Dunedin timber user but he did not blame them fqr not' doing so. He explained that timber was a nonrecurring crop, and once an operative mill area was cut it was finished. The Government asked a miller with perhaps 20 years' cutting area to double his production; if he did he doubled his profits, but those were offset by coming into the higher tax brackets. Thus, for a slight additional profit, he halved his expectancy of mill life. Although Companies which had come to the end of their resources in recent years had been able to obtain new licences, these had covered areas representing perhaps only a year's cutting. FARMERS' FEDERATION NEW BRANCHES FORMED (0.C.) HAMILTON, Tuesday The need for the establishment of a separate province in the Waikato was stressed by Mr H. Johnstone, when addressing farmers of the Mangateparu district with a view to forming a branch of Federated Farmers of New Zealand in that area. Mr A. G. Alexander was the chairman of the meeting, and other speakers were Mr G. A. Walsh and Mr F. N. Smith. A similar meeting was held at Walton, where the speakers were Messrs F. N. Smith, R. Vickers and F. C. Roberts. Branch officers were elected as follows: — Mangatoparn.—President. Mr A. G. Alexander; vice-presidents, Messrs R. Vickers. H. Wilcox; secretary and treasurer. Mr E. T. Jones; committee, Messrs O. Mulcahy, H. Wilson C. Billington. C. J. Westbury. M. E. Barrowelough. T. Eynon. W McLean and S. R. G. Brewis. Walton—President. Mr J. Attwood; vicepresidents. Messrs F. E. Harris J. S. Patterson; secretary and treasurer. Mr G. Gatland; committee, Messrs E. Drinkworth, D. Hooker. S. Harriman, A. Wills p.nd C. Mapp