TRADE WITH GERMANY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18801, 2 March 1923, Page 5

TRADE WITH GERMANY

IN FAVOUR 0£ RENEWAL.

dfcom Oun Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, March 1,

Though two or throe local merchants lire making some fuss about the renewal of trade with Germany, and demanding a postponement of the date on which it shall come into force, the general opinion seems to bo that tho six months’ notice given is ample. A merchant, writing to the Evening Post, says that tho reasons given for an extension of the time to January, 1924, are trivial. Nothing cheftp is likely to come from Germany for a considerable time, as the trade conditions there are so bad. It was a local merchant who said ho feared competition with cheap German goods next Christmas. The merchant above referred to, however, points out that one has only to’ read tho daily accounts of the position on tho Ruhr to understand this. Any importer also knows that trade cannot bo resumed in a few short mouths, as it is necessary to got out trade catalogues, samples, and fix. prices in British currency. This could not possibly be done in time to permit of any clioao German goods reaching here by September 1, 1923. Speaking broadly, competition is tho soul of business, and the sooner we act back to open trade with all tho countries in the world the better it will be for industry generally in Now Zealand. The mere fact that New Zealand is the last country in the world to open tho doors of trade to Germany shows how isolated we arc. To hold off removing any restrictions still further is quite unnecessary. Tho wise judgment of Cabinet and the Minister of Customs, as reported in tho proclamation, gives in detail tho many sound reasons which influence tho Government in its decision, and tho report we read in your paper of tho Chamber of Commerce discussion and the resolution in comparison is trivial in the extreme.