EMPIRE TRADE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18025, 28 February 1933, Page 9

EMPIRE TRADE

LONDON THE PIVOT GROWTH OF INDUSTRIES (Special Correspondent) London; jan. 10. Striking evidence of, the unique pqsitiqij .df the Metropolis of Loudon as a centre for tho establishment of pew industrial enterprises is shown in tho fact that no fewer than 80 new factory premises or sites in and around Loudon have been taken or are in contemplation by various manufacturing firms during the past 12 months.

i Unemployment, as revealed by the Ministry of Labor’s returns, is at the present time less by half in London than in the rest of England—London 10.7 per cent, and England 22 per cent.

London is indeed the largest manufacturing city as well as the most important distributing centre of,.the United Kingdom and has a special claim upon the attention not only of manufacturers seeking locations for tho establishment ;of new industries but also upon Empire shippers of raw materials and food. “There is no doubt that inter-Em-pire trade is steadily gathering momentum in the public imagination, “ writes Lloyd’s List, London’s premier daily shipping journal, and producers and shippers throughout' the Dominions ana Colonies are heartened by the beneficial effects expected as. the outcome} of the new Empire trade policy. To emphasise ,the importance of London ,as a consuming and distributing centre, it has only to be mentioned that a third of the popupation of the whole of the United Kingdom, some 20,000,000 souls, live within economic reach of tho Metropolis. In Greater London alone —any point of which 3s within easy reach of the docks of tho port—there live some 8,500,000 men, women and children, and the number is steadily growing as more and more industries.. become established., Virtually, no food is produced ,ijn this area, yet ,at least 25,000,060 meals are consumed by these pepplo every day. Reliance )s placed in. the main upon the steady arrival of imported foodstuffs such as meat, wheat, butter, cheese, fruit and a multitude of .other cereals, provisions anfi luxury items of diet produced within the Empire. London lias always received and distributed the bulk, of most of the produce sent to the Old Country from the Dominions , and Colonies. The practice is deeply rooted and tho growing population and industrialisation of the area, served by the Port of London are now more than ever favorable to its continuance.

It was from London that many of the pioneers of Empire set sail; it was from London that the earliest settlers at the outposts of the Empire obtained tho capital which enabled them to develop the resources of tho lands of their adoption; it was the financial and distributing facilities of London that enabled the produce of tho Empire to be disposed of to tho best, advantage and thus ensure continued and increased production. The development of the Empire is indeed unndstakcably reflected in tho .growth of London and .itjs port, and it was largely with a senso of confidence that Imperial trade would flourish and expand that the Port of London Authority executed their largo programme of port development works at a cost of some £20,000,000. London is an ideal distributing centfo. Tho transport arteries of tho country, both road and rail, radiato from London. Its docks are the largest in the (world and excellently equipped; the lobar available, skilled and unskilled, is amongst the best that can be found, resourceful and adaptable. - -