EMPIRE SHOPPING WEEK

Taranaki Daily News, 19 May 1928, Page 4

EMPIRE SHOPPING WEEK

HON. O. J. HAWKEN TO SPEAK. VALUE OF TRADE WITH ENGLAND | Empire shopping week in New Plymouth is to commence o.i Wednesday, and arrangements are well in .rand to make it a success. At the Victoria League floral tea yesterday, the president (Mrs C. H. Burgess) said she was delighted at the response by the retailers of the town. They had been very ready to help, turd seme of them had actually thanked the representatives of the league when they had called. Mrs. Burgess said she was very pleased to know that most of the goods displayed in the shops it. New Plymouth were British. Some of the business people had said they could show only what they had been showing every day. but she suggested that, if these British goods were displayed a little more prominently, with notices giving their origin, they would bring home to children and adults what the meaning of Empire was. Some very fine pasters had been sent by the British Trade Commissioner through Mr. C. E. Bellringer, M.P. Mrs. I D. Hay, the local secretary of the league, had prepared some slogans and 300 of these had been printed free by Messrs. Thomas Avery and Sons, Ltd Dr. D. E. Brown, the Scout Commissioner, had arranged that six Scouts should distribute these in the town on .Monday. Mr. J. McLeod had consented to print some paper Union Jacks. Airs. Burgess said she felt that the league was really an established institution in the life of the town. She had never once been refused when she had asked for something in the name of the league. The local papers were helping, too, and were publishing slogans, etc. She asked all to give the movement their support, for never had an Empire shopping week been started under more delightful circumstances. The children would be assembled in the park at 2.30 p.m. on Thursday, when the Hon. O. J. Hawken would deliver an address on Empire. It was Loped Lieut,-Colonei C 11. Weston would take the salute. The junior associates of the league would place a wreath on the Queen Victoria memorial fountain.

Very often they were inclined to forget they belonged to the great British Empire, said Archdeacon F. G. Evans. After all, old England was their Mother Country and they should treat her as they would their own mothers. What would the Dominions do without the millions of pounds that England supplied in order that they might progress. When the Dominions desired to borrow they went to England and not elsewhere. Their development depended, on England who, in addition, protected the Empire with her navy. The Dominions paid only a very small proportion of the cost of maintaining this defence. In return for these and other privileges the people of the Dominions, on enter-' ing a shop, should ask whether the goods were British, and should, if necessary, even pay a little more for them. British goods were cheaper because they were better. The economic side of Empire trade was touched on by Mr. C. H. Burgess. The more they bought from foreign countries the greater the burden they placed on the Old Country, he- said. England paid us in goods for the large amount of produce we sent her, and if we went to America, for instance, to purchase our needs the balance of trade would go against us and the Old Country would have to pay. Instead of England paying us in money for our produce she sent out goods, so that every time we took foreign goods in preference we made matters more difficult for England, besides putting the balance of trade with the foreign country further against us. England, too, was trying to keep up a higher standard of living than some of her neighbours, and this meant she bad to pay higher wages. He did not blame people when occasionally they purchased foreign goods because the price was more suited to the pocket, but there were many times when they could profitably buy British goods and so help the Old Country. There was practically nothing that could not be produced in this wide and scattered Empire. During the coming week the children would be reminded that they belonged to, and were part ci, the Empire. In conclusion, Mr. Burgess said the traders had complained that they had not had sufficient rime to prepare this year, but next year they would be asked to organise sooner.