IN AMERICA'S CLUTCHES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16374, 23 June 1927, Page 10

IN AMERICA'S CLUTCHES

PAYINjJ DKBTi ' AND FATTENING HER TRADE Speaking in regard to trade-reciproc-ity with Britain, Mr J. S. McLeod, president of' the- Hastings Chamber ,; ot Commerce, made a strong plea, that' bustness men and people generally would give the matter their serious consideration. ■ ■ “ Unquestionably we trade very largely outside the British Empire:, and equally unquestionably we ought to trade with the people who trade 'lvith us. I refer particblaily to • the United 'States,” continued Mr McLeod. “They are very Small buyers, qf our inanufactures, and they pul"/prohibitive.'protective duties on whatever we attempt to send into their country. “We cannot, ship wool to the United States—or hardly at all; and we cannot., send meat there; nor can we send flax and other of our products. Generally : speaking, I think we ought to do bu|h ness with the people.-who do the most business with us. We should dp that so far as we can. 1 ,i . “I was surprised the .other day to, find that the ‘Argentine Rural Society,’ which is the largest pastoral society - sn the world, was ‘going to buy 'from the people that buy from us. England buys 'most from us and. therefore we. should buy most from England.’ In'Australia, added Mr McLeod, “the Pastoral Society there has passed a, very, similar resolution. It. would be riot a bad thing if the farmers in New Zealand followed ip the same steps, particularly, in regard’ to motor cars and such things.” ■Some time after Mr. McLeod had spoken; the meeting was called upon to consider a request made by the British Women’s Patriotic League that an Empire shopping week might be held in the. town, and Mr A. G. Hallett thereupon took the opportunity to speak in support of what Mr McLeod had been sayihg. ‘ ENTIRELY WRONG “It has always appeared to me,” said Mr Hallett, ‘‘that this matter of trade reciprocity with Britain is a very serious thing. I do not know the exact figures but 'I believe that while the United states of America take about £2,000,C00 Worth of our produce each year wo import about awtit £20,000,000 worth \from her. If is ;ill wrong—entirely wrong. If they cannot do better than that for us, then we should do everything we can utterly to divert our support from them.” Mr E. H. Harvey was another eager supporter of Mr McLeod. “If it were not for Britain,” lie said, “our assets would not be worth much. I think it is up to the Government to impose on foreign goods such duties as would at least make them competitive with British goods. We can import German goods cheaper than we can get them from, Britain, and of course all business people have to do as their competitors do. I would like to deal entirely within the British Empire, but- I have to do as others do. Personally, I buy all I can from Britain.’’ , y- ■