BRITISH INDUSTRIES

Otago Witness, Issue 3859, 28 February 1928, Page 51

BRITISH INDUSTRIES

FOURTEENTH ANNUAL FAIR. LONDON, February 20. •As an act of grace the Australian and New Zealand displays are included in the British Industries Fair. Canada, through the Chamber of Commerce, is staging a bigger and brighter display, and in this connection the opinion is expressed that Australia has hardly been done justice. However, Canada next year will join with Australia and New Zealand in showing under th© Empire Marketing Board’s segis. Australia’s display includes dried and canned fruits, butter, cheese, wines, eggs, hour, and three-ply timbers. The London diamond merchants, Clark and Co., are exhibiting to-morrow uncut New South Wales and Queensland emeralds. New Zealand is exhibiting butter, cheese, mutton, lamb, wool, timber, dried milk, rugs, and tallow. The Duk© and Duchess of York, accompanied by Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister (president of the Board of Trade), visited the whole exhibition, beginning with the doFOURTEENTH ANNUAL FAIR, minions. The Duke was principally interested in the butter and cheese in tb e New Zealand Court, remarking that they justly occupied pride of place, because the Dominion was rapidly becoming Britain’s principal overseas supplier. The Duchess was intensely impressed in th e Empire Board's show of canned and bottled fruits, remarking: " I must see that my household explores these possibilities a good deal further than it ha s done.” Examining the display of British bacon and eggs, the Duke turned to Sir Philip Cun-liffe-Lister and said : “ How strange that most people forget that Britain is a part of the Empire.” Toasting th© Industries Fair at the Mansion House banquet, the Duke of A:ork paid a tribute to the business men’s faith, which was. typified by a steady increase of exhibits at the fair, all through the post-war difficulties. He specially drew attention to the wide range of the Empire’s products, which were splendidly displayed on the Empire Marketing Board s stand. Competent observers expressed the opinion that there wa 6 a good prospect of the recent improvement In trade continuing. His opinion was that trade at present was feeling like a man returning to work after a severe illness and a long convalescence. One of the encouraging signs of th© continuation of improvement was the recent voluntary movement for closer relations between employers and employees. Another encouraging factor was the peoples of the Empire’s growing consciousness of unity of purpose and interest in Imperial matters. Throughout th© dominions and colonies the improvement in Imperial trade was being ceaselessly watched and explored. His recent tour convinced him that it would b© difficult to over estimate the strength of this great current of in terest which would increasingly improve the agricultural industries of the whole Empire. Immigration would develop the productive powers of tbe dominions and colonies, Britain benefiting by the em ployment overseas of those she could not employ at home. No one could visit the dominions as he and the Duchess had done without bringing back an unshakeable belief in the future awaiting these young countries and their vigorous peoples.

February 21. The industries banquet was a representative gathering of Ambassadors, • High C’ommmissioners, Agents-general, and traders’ organisations. Sir James Parr (High Commissioner for the Dominion) was present. The Prince of Wales sent a message stating that he was hopeful that the record exhibits coincided with the dawn of a new era in British trade, both at Home and abroad Sir James Parr received the Duke of York at the New Zealand stall, which attractively features butter, cheese, honey, wool, mutton, and lamb. It earned encomiums from the Duke, who drew attention to the transparent picture of the interior of a creamery, and noted its resemblance to one he visited between Auckland and Rotorua. He congratulated the High Commissioner on the mainten a nee of the popularity of the Dominion’s chief exports to Britain. The Queen and Princess Mary passed through only the Marketing Board s sec tion at the fair, but th© King spent a considerable time inspecting the various do minions’ displays He particularly noticed Australia’s wine exhibits, and was impressed when told that the imports increased tenfold in five yearly periods. H< also noticed the dried fruits, and said that he was very pleased to hear that they were taking a prominent place in the English markets. At the New Zealand display he said: “So this is New Zealand butter. It is a very fine show.” The King asked how long the butter lasted after being unloaded, and was told that it did not contain preservative. H© was also very interested in a wax model of a lamb carcass which had deceived even butchers.

“We have been sneeringly called a nation of shopkeepers,” said the Duke of York at a banquet of sales managers. “Well, there’s nothing to be ashamed.of in shopkeeping, but only in keeping it badly, ill planned, ill managed, poorly arrayed, and poorly advertised. It is our job as an industrial nation to keep a shop and keep it better than anyone else, and be proud of doing so.” RUGBY, February 21. The King took particular interest in the exhibit of wireless’ sets at the fair, and revealed the fact that at Buckingham Palace he shares all th© attractions and difficulties of a wireless listener. He confided to the expert in attendance his repeated disappointment at failing to get Paris or German stations, and the expert promptly showed the King a set which he declared would overcome these difficulties.