EMPIRE TRADE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 986, 31 May 1930, Page 11

EMPIRE TRADE

PROMOTION ASSOCIATION FORMED MOVEMENT IN AUCKLAND Aiming to promote trade within the Empire, Auckland business men last evening formed an association to foster this objective. An alternative plan to form ail association of those willing to pledge themselves to demand in trade, British goods, in preference to foreign, was also submitted by the convener, Mr. H. G. Beechey, but after discussion the meeting selected the promotion of British trade interests In general as the objective of the new organisation. The. meeting, which was presided over by Mr. Malcolm Stewart, was addressed by the British Tr;.de Commissioner, Air. L. A. Paish. A huge sum was annually lost to the Empire, he said, by mere thoughtlessness on the part of buyers. He illustrated this point by observing that New Zealand cheese, of which 99 per cent was bought by Great Britain, was shipped Home in American cheesecloths, which cost £12,000 a year. Likewise, New Zealand butter reached the Home consumer in Belgian parchment wrapping, while coverings for both butter and cheese could be obtained at Home at competitive prices. Importations of foreign hats were valued at £ 53.009 annually, yet hats of equal quality were manufactured in the Empire. He also commented upon English car distributors using American typewriters and representatives of English steel firms using American cars for transport. Th© proposal was warmly supported by Mr. C. M. Croft, Canadian Trade Commissioner, Air. G. O. Sutton, secretary of the British (U.K.) Alanufaeturers’ Association of New Zealand, Mr. W. E. Duncan, member of the Businessmen’s Committee of the Overseas League, and Air. \V. A. Donald. A committee was set up as follows: Afessrs. *W. Goodfellow. Albert Spencer, *W. A. Donald. AI. G. White. J. E. Beachan, H. G. . Beechey and F. McCallum. _ _