EMPIRE DEVELOPMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19763, 14 April 1926, Page 8

EMPIRE DEVELOPMENT.

ENGLISH BUSINESS MAN. WHERE HE LACKS VISION. (Fbom Oub Ow- Coeeespondent.) LONDON, February 26. Mr J. Wyndham Hopkins and his family are sailing tor South Africa to-day. where they will spend some months before returning to New Zealand. As a keen mperlalist, Mr Wyndham Hopkins invariably uses his time on this side of the world profitably, either acquiring Information or imparting It. Since his return from the Continent ho has been on a lecture tour In Hampshire on behalf of the League of Empire. He spoke on New Zealand at Women’s Institutes at Sparholt. Barton Stacey, Mlcheldever. Stratton, and a number of other places, all his lectures being illustrated by lantern slides. The people he met In the country districts appeared to be considerably Impressed and surprised by the volume of produce which comes from New Zealand to Great Britain. Their interest suggested that a good many of them would select for themselves or some members of their families the Dominion as their future homo. JThey were greatly .Impressed with the up-to-date methods of butter and cheese production in New Zealand. Mr Wyndham Hopkins has seen a good many business men during bis travels, and one of his chief Impressions is that English business men have not got to the stage of considering where they should bujin order to get the best returns In the long run, or where they should sell in order to obtain the maximum expansion of markets. Their buying and selling are based too much on the principle of Immediate profit. Mr Wyndham Hopkins considers that the status of agents who go out to the domntons to represent English firms should bo considerably improved. He should have a freer hand to placing orders. An English agent often has to write home to his principals before a contract is completed. The American agent takes responsibility on his own shoulders, and concludes bis contract on the spot, naming a date for delivery. More than that, he takes an interest in making adjustments and attending to dissatisfactions. English agents will have to atifbnd to these matters if they are to compete with American agents. Mr Wyndham Hopkins maintains that there Is a tremendous prejudice In this country against New Zealand's selective methods In . igration. Many people maintain that the Dominion insists upon obtaining the type of men and women who do not naturally desire to go abroad. Something will have to be done to put migration generally on a wider basis. One of the difficulties Is that migration does not Immediately affect the people who could get things done. Some new method will have to be adopted to Interest the more influential people In the subject. During his stay In the Union of South Africa and in Rhodesia Mr Wyndham Hopkins will probably be lecturing a good deal on Empire development. He carries letters of introduction to some 30 influential people In South Africa.