JAPANESE COMPETITION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23002, 3 October 1936, Page 9

JAPANESE COMPETITION

THREAT TO IMPERIAL TRADE A TRAVELLER’S OBSERVATIONS (Special to Daily Times) • AUCKLAND, Oct. 2. Very real fears of the threat offered Imperial trade by Japanese competition are entertained by Mr C. G. Gibson, M.P. for Pudsey and Otley in the British Parliament and president-elect of the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, who arrived at Auckland by the Mariposa after spending several weeks in Japan. Mr Gibson is to represent the Leeds Chamber of Commerce at the congress of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire. He is to move a remit urging the necessity for giving attention to Japanese trade competition. Cheap labour costs were responsible for Japan’s ability to compete with Empire goods, said Mr Gibson. Girl operatives in Japan were being paid the equivalent of about 7s a week, with a little extra money for living expenses. Their efficiency was remarkable. In addition to this, the Government was sponsoring increasing efforts to find new markets. Japanese commercial representatives were being sent to every part of the world. So far as Australia and New Zealand were concerned, his observations had led him to believe that in a few years’ time Japan would be altogether independent of New Zealand and Australian wool supplies. . Although Mr Gibson did not see any signs of rearmament in Japan, he said he knew that shipping companies were receiving a subsidy of 55 yen a ton if they built ships which could be converted into auxiliary cruisers. Ordinary commercial and trading lines were also heavily subsidised, and differential treatmenh in the way of Customs and harbour dues was accorded Japanese and foreign ships entering and leaving Japanese ports.