BRITISH TRADE

Southland Times, Issue 19897, 16 June 1926, Page 5

BRITISH TRADE

THE YEAR’S DECLINE MR BRUCE SUMS UP EFFECT OF POSITION ON DOMINIONS. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) Melbourne, June 15. Referring to the sharp decline in British trade this year, the total diminution of which to the end of May compared with the same period of last year reached £118,000.000, Mr Bruce says: ‘The position is calculated to cause concern to British communities in other parts of the world, especially since they realise the extent to which their own economic future is bound up with that of Britain. I can only hope for a corresponding realisation in Great Britain of the extent to which her future trading prosperity is bound up with her oversea dominions. I am inclined to think rhe question of development of Empire trade is too commonly regarded in Britain as a matter which affects the overseas Empire primarily and Britain herself only secondarily, but I cannot emphasise too strongly the point that it is a matter in which interests are reciprocated. No one can tell whether the decline in Britain’s foreign trade is temporary or partly permanent but of one thing there is no doubt—that Empire trade forms a steadily increasing proportion of the total overseas trade of the United Kingdom."—A. & N.Z.