BRITISH GOODS FOR BRITISH PEOPLE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17154, 2 October 1926, Page 9

BRITISH GOODS FOR BRITISH PEOPLE

“If this British League of Nations is to hold its own in the world —and that it should do is, I thiuk, of fundamental importance for all humanity—- , it must be based on adequate economic foundations.” In these striking words says I lie Taranaki Herald) Sir Halford J. Mackinder, , chairman of the Imperial Economic and Imperial Shipping Committees, stressed the outstanding need of the Empire, and surely, in the light of that emphatic statement, the people of the Empire can do no better, no sounder service, none that will forward his ideal monr effectively, than by setting on foot in various portions of the Empire, at Home and overseas, schemes for the fostering and development of trade within the Empire. It' a scheme can 1)3 educative in its effects and have a direct and powerful influence, not only on the adult people - hut on the rising generation, surely scheme fulfils the conditions set forth by a man who holds a position in the Councils of Empire, such as makes him able to speak with authority. If then the people really and truly realise the privilege they enjoy as citizens of so great an Empire, surely they should equally appreciate the responsibilities attaching to that dig- ' nity. Each part of the Empire must not live to itself alone, but co-operate with every other part in maintaining that wonderful business institution, British trade. Each should be prepared to make sacrifices, if necessary, to help secure the supremacy of Britain in the world of commerce, remembering that their prosperity aud perhaps their' very existence have been possible only by tlie mighty power of the Empire, and that this great Empire has been free from the beginning, built up from the sacrifices of her sons and daughters, in which the Dominion has shared just as much as any part of the Homeland. HAM'ERA LEADS THE WAY. To Hawera was given the _ honor of organising in connection with its winter show in 1917 the first British Trade Exhibition, with “Our Week for the Empire,” and “British Goods for British People.” as its slogans. When it repeated its message at the 1923 “Empire Week,” and again in 1926 at a similar function, coupling with the two the'added educational aspect in the school children 's Empire reciprocal scheme, it surely struck a note that must carry all round tho Empire and be heard by the millions of citizens whoso proud boast it is to say, like unto that of the Roman of old. “Civis Brittanicus Sum.-” The value of tho scheme has been recognised by .leading men -in the Dominion and also in the Old Country. Amongst those who recognise and appreciate its far-reaching influence and

EMPIRE WEEK ORIGINATED IN HAWERA r

s potentialities for the good of the Em--1 jure, arc men like Sir Ernest Osmond, ' of the All British 'campaign, London, and Mr. Ernest Feilden, editor-in-chief 3 of the Empire Mail, a publication which has made as its very special _ work the furtherance of Empire interj csts iii every possible way. Both have written in a most appreciative [ strain of the scheme for fostering in-' ; tcr-Empire trade and principles. FIXE IMPERIAL SPIKIT. In his hist letter Mr. FeiUlen wrote to Mr. L. O. Hooker, at some length, on the subject, concluding with the following paragraph: — “Permit me, in conclusion, 1o say how much 1 admire not only the resolution with which you arc facing your great, task but also the tine Imperial spirit that animates you. I fervently hope your efforts will be crowned by the success they merit, mid that you will have the supreme satisfaction of inaugurating an evergrowing movement towards Imperial co-operation and unity.” In addition to these, and perhaps most important and valuable of all, is the fact that the gospel of “British Goods for British People” has received the cordial recognition of the overseas department of the Board of Trade, London, and as far back as 1017 that board strongly supported the scheme, and acknowledged Hawera as the iirst centre at which such an exhibition of British goods was held, and recognised, in addition, Mr. L. 0. Hooker as the originator of the movement. An additional interesting feature of the Empire Week celebrations in H>l7 was the fact that for the first time a window dressing competition was held in Hawera. featuring British Empire goods only. This gained very great kudos from all who saw il. EDUCATIVE SCHEMES. These movements have all been but links in the chain, the great underlying purpose of which is to help to bind the British Empire closer together in one indissoluble interdependence and sclf-containedness, to withstand all the difficulties and obstacles which the future may have in store. They show the people to some extent what tlie countries of the Empire are capable of doing in business. The last and greatest scheme amongst the school children of the Old Country and the Dominion is designed to educate them to a better knowledge of one another and of their several parts of the Empire realising, as the organiser of the scheme (Mr. L. 0. Hooker) has so well said, that “the children of today are the buyers and sellers of tomorrow.” Its influence and potency for good to tlie people of the Empire can hardly be over-estimated, provided that opportunity is given to carry it to an ultimate conclusion. —-Taranaki Herald.

A tone of vigorous optimism ran through the speeches which were delivered at the annual dinner of the ISvitisli Bankers’ Association in London J a few weeks ago. t Advocates of inflation, said Mr. L. 1 Currie, who presided, had predicted all kinds of disaster, following a return to the gold standard. They had said that to preserve Britain’.? stock of gold, it would be necessary to raise tbo bank rate, and to retain it at a very high level; but their prophecies had proved' untrustworthy. The bank rate bad nowbeen raised above 5 per cent., and it had been down to 4 per uent. In all proba-| bilitv it. would again be at 4 per cent.: mnv, but for the coal strike. The stock of gold iu the Hank of England to-day was only £5,000,000 less thud it, was in April of last year, when the gold standard was restored. Satisfaction on the return of a free market for gold must lie tempered, perhaps, by thc fact that] while our ancestors took only five years: after the Napoleonic wars to attain t-liatj result, it xliad taken uV seven years;} moreover, we were still unable to in-’ dulge in the luxury of a gold currency i wiitTi they had been able to restore in’ 1820. j A "fly in the amber," it was argued, was the position in regard to taxation —J which also is one of the flaws in the} economic conditions in Australia. Mr.; Currie contended that, whatever else democracy had produced, it had certainly j tended to extravagance rather than to thrift. " Bankers/' he added, “are not. pessimisis; they hope for the best. They believe that. British trade will improve, and that it, will then be possible with the aid of rigid economy, in both Government and municipal expenditure,