OVERSEAS TRADE.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1924, Page 3

OVERSEAS TRADE.

APPEALS TO BRITISH FIRMS. N.Z.’s WONDERFUL WEALTH. CLOSER TRADE MffT H CANADA. “I suppose New Zealand shows the greatest individual ‘buying power of any country in the world’” said Mr. R. W. Dalton at Auckland, when speaking about British trade matters. Mr. Dalton will be remembered for the splendid work he did while he was British Trade Commissioner in New Zealand and we can rest assured that the Dominion has in him a very warm friend. In fact he says that right from the first he felt its singular attraction, “and,” he added, “I would very much like to come back some day.” Since leaving New Zealand Mr. Dalton spent several months at Home, and then took up the important post of Senior Trade Commissioner in Canada, where he spent about a year. He is now on his way to Australia, but before he goes on he will spend a couple of weeks in New Zealand, where he will, of course, discuss matters with his successor.

Mr. Dalton’s remark about the wonderful buying power of the New Zealand people was apropos of British trade with the overseas Dominions. At Home the development of trade since the war had been slow and gradual, but still there was a little improvement, and he noticed a greater tendency to look for new markets, and a wish to foster trade with the overseas Dominions within the Empire. The unrest in Europe, with its consequent loss of trade to Great Britain, had compelled tin- business people to look about them; but apart from that fact, the British firms were realising that there were greater opportunities for trade with the overseas Dominions than was realised before the war. Efforts were now tending towards encouraging that trade, and the tendency was shown in a marked degree in the case of Canada. Naturally a person seeking markets would look to the nearest point to the Mother Country. SOLID NEW ZEALAND. Australia, said Mr. Dalton, was one of Britain’s biggest markets, and New Zealand had always attracted British firms, for although the total volume of business done with New Zealand was merely relatively good to the other markets, that volume was very big to the total trade of New Zealand. Everyone knew the enormous buying ptfwer of the New Zealander, but apart from that the firms in the Old Country knew that New Zealand business was sound, and they liked trading with the Dominion.

A reference to the British popularity of Mr. Massey led Mr. Dalton to make some interesting remarks about the rather astonishing solidity of New Zealand, and the rapid recovery it made after the war troubles. Mr. Dalton put the Dominion’s strength down to the fact that its economic basis was sound. The country was not developing its public utilities ahead of its strength. Development went on side by side, and that was a source of great strength. CANADA LIKES NEW ZEALAND BUTTER. As a result of his knowledge of the two countries, Mr. Dalton thinks that there are possibilities of a development of New Zealand trade with Canada. “I have found New Zealand butter spoken of in a most eulogistic manner.” said Mr. Dalton, “and I think that with a little organisation and propoganda your butter could find a much bigger market, particularly in the west of Canada. You must remember, of course, that there cannot continue to be a very ‘big demand, because Canada is a better producing country itself, but in certain quarters there is a very high appreciation of the quality of New Zealand butter.” “Is it better than the Canadian?”

“I think the grading has a lot to do with the matter. The grading of New Zealand butter is so good, and its uniformity is so consistent, that it finds a market from that reason apart from its own excellent quality.” “Canada take? a very great interest in New Zealand.” continued Mr. Dalton, “and it is surprising the wav news about this country is published in the Canadian papers. Canadians are much interested in the development of New Zealand. New Zealand’s rapid recovery from the effects of the war, the reduction of taxation, and the reversion to penny postage are all matters that have a great interest for Canada. And. of course, Canada is looking to the New Zealand market. The Canadian merchants are keen to work up an export trade to New Zealand, which it is quite obvious can only be done satisfactorily if there is a ‘two-way’ trade.”