BRITISH REVIVAL

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1932, Page 7

BRITISH REVIVAL

ADAPTATION OF INDUSTRY

HOPEFUL RESULTS REVIEWED

FOREIGNERS SUFFER MORE

EMPLOYMENT IMPROVES POSSIBILITIES AT OTTAWA British Wireless. Rugby, April 14. The encouraging results of recent surveys of British industries were reviewed to-day' by Mr. Walter Runciman, President of the Board of Trade, during a debate in the House of Commons. Britain was the most highly industrial country in Europe with its commercial activities still the greatest in the world, Mr. Runciman said. Britain’s trade with Europe represented until receiftly nearly one-third of its foreign trade, but there had been a great shrinkage in European traffic. Britain would have suffered much more but for the action taken since last August. The importation of large quantities of goods with which the country could ■most easily afford to dispense had been cut. The abnormal imports orders last winter appeared to have kept down imports by at least £8,000,000 directly and £16,000,000 or £17,000,000 indirectly. In the west riding of Yorkshire there had been greater activity than for years past, mills having ceased shorttime work and many working overtime. There were signs of a revival in some, although not all, branches of the cotton trade. The manufacturers of electrical machinery were regaining the foreign market as well as retaining the home customers. STRIKING COMPARISONS. If the measure of activity of British trade was taken on exports alone it would be found that Britain had suffered less from the world shrinkage than had any country. The decrease in the first quarter of this year was about £11,000,000 below that of the first quarter of last year, but whereas the British diminution had been 11 per cent, the United States’ shrinkage, taken over the whole three months, amounted to more than 35 per cent., while German fell 21 per cent., French 33 per cent., and the Netherlands over 34 per cent.

British industries had adapted themselves to the needs of the present with