“BUY BRITISH.”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20708, 4 May 1929, Page 18

“BUY BRITISH.”

AS APPLIED TO THE DOMINIONS. AN El.k'S APPEAL. HIGH COMMISSIONERS’ REPLIES. (Fbom Odb Own Cobbzsfondenz. ) LONDON, March 10.; Last week a dozen members of Parliamerit signed a 1 letter published in The Times suggesting, that it was time that the' maxim “Buy British” should -he - given the: same- emphasis _ throughout the Empire as it has : had. in Britain.. “It cannot be denied,” the Empire Marketing Board has been successful in its objects.... It has underspent its allotted funds, but nevertheless, the sound principle of trading within the Empire - is 'recognised and is in every one’s v imnd: ih this country. ' If this result could '"be attained throughout the : do- . minions and colonies, ■ instead of In Bri-. tain alone; the Empire as a trading concern' would receive immense benefit both in .commerce and In consolidation. The will to ‘Buy British’ was always;present In. Britain; overseas . there is the same public sentinient, merely needing a lead, such as that given by the Empire Marketing- Board _ here, In order to make it ■equally effective. “It is surely dear - that there should he- ‘ Buy British’• publicity In - the dominions arid--colonies. Inthjs view w'e .are supported by. associations of manufacturers, who see in such a publicity scheme.a means' of checking the steady encroachment of foreign products upon dominions’ Imports. . May we, suggest that some effective steps be taken in the matter at- once? ; We cannot hope to muddle through in Empire trade without using to the -• full the proved ■ machinery of • publicity,” ' The signatories of this letter are obviously not very well-informed, and it was natural that High .Commissioners shouldreply to the statement. Sir Peter Larkin, High Commissioner for Canada, suggests that the signatories had been in-, dined to overlook the notable part which' the _ dominions themselves are already playing in this matter. ' “In Canada,” he says, “the ‘Buy 'British ’ idea has taken such firm root that according to the - Dominion Bureau of Statistics the value-of ; imports fr Great Britain was roughly £1,720,000 greater than - in the preceding year, the grand total reaching the impressive figures: of over. £38,140,000. A feature of the imports was the increase in all classes of the commodify list except in the case of non-metallio, The figures are all the more impressive • when it Is recalled that the greatest producing country in the world is just across her borders.” , . Sir Peter refers to the advice given to business men by the-Prince of Wales to “ step;right. over ” -and investigate the: potentialities of a. British market themselves." V . AUSTRALIA’S POSITION, , Sir Granvillo Ryrie, lligh Commissioner for Australia, also replies; “It is hardly necessary for me to remind your readers,” he says, “that Australia. .with 6,500,000..pe0p1e is already a bigger customer for British goods than any foreign country; that her purchases of British manufactures greatly exceed those even of the United States with upwards of 120,000,000 people. But Australia also purchases a very large volume of manufactured goods from foreign coun-. tries,, and in this connection I' am reminded of, a paragraph in the report of the recent British Economic Mission to Australia:— * V It. is for-' British manufacturers, if they desire to, take advantage of the opportunities of Australian trade, to bestir themselves- energetically: in the matter of establishing branches of their businesses in the Commonwealth, where the.goods ; of the kind that'they supply are effectively protected; by acquiring a knowledge of the openings which exist for; them by visits to Australia ,of the heads ,of firms or by responsible representatives; by the ernployment of competent and well-paid agents and travellers, and by using to the full tho services of the admirable organisation established for their -benefit in Australia under the British Trade Commisioner, “INVEST BRITISH.” . “It seems to’me that the advice, ‘lnvest British’ is almost as important as that to ‘Buy British.' If a citizen in the Motherland has money invested in an overseas country he serves his own individual interest as well as that of the overseas country concerned by fostering trade between Britain and that country, lithe money happens to be.devoted to the development of primary resources under a foreign, flag it if? to the investor’s personal advantage that that foreign country should find a satisfactory market in the Motherland for the goods produced. If, however,- his money is invested in a dominion or colony his practical interest is fostered in the marketing of Empire produce;'his natural desire to do well by bis Empire and his personal advantage go hand, in band. It would be interesting to know how many Individual British investors there are whose pecuniary interests are connected with the development of foreign resources as compared with the number interested financially in Empire development.”