TRADE WITH THE EAST

Taranaki Daily News, 9 June 1932, Page 14

TRADE WITH THE EAST

AUSTRALIA’S OPPORTUNITY.

INTEREST IN COMMONWEALTH.

Australia’s interest in the Far East, from the commercial point of view—the Far East producing no wheat, flour, meat, milk, or wool—was emphasised by Mr. F. S. Boyce, M.'L.C., who returned to Sydney recently from a holiday visit to Eastern countries. Mr. Boyce said that duri his fleeting visit to the East he was surprised to find how much interest was displayed in things Australian. Outside commercial matters, the main topics of interest were the bridge, of which everyone knew something; Mr. Lang, of whom everyone held opinions the reverse of complimentary to that gentleman’s political achievements; Mr. de Groot, who, as a man in Shanghai had remarked to Mr. Boyce, had “raised a laugh which had reached as high as heaven”; and Phar Lap. Indeed, said Mr. (Boyce, the East should, and did, concern itself with Australia. The East had not wheat, flour, wool, milk or meat; and with those commodities, vessels went laden thither from Australia. When he was in

Japan, which was rapidly becoming westernised, found that much apprehension was felt at the non-production of wool in that country Sheep did not thrive in Japan; the bamboo grass soon killed them; but in Manchuria an attempt had been made to establish the wool industry on a competitive basis with Australia.

During hjs stay in Japan, the announcement was made that this attempt had failed. The facts, as given by the Japanese Government experts, were that in Manchuria there were 2,500,000 sheep, which number could be raised to 10,000,000; “but, 5 the experts reported, “it will be impossible to increase it to 30,000,009 head, which is the number required for an industrial basis, and, further, on the average the sheep in Manchuria, produce 2Jlb of wool per head, whereas the Australian animals produce an average of SJlb.” Japan, said Mr. Boyce, was outj of the wool market for many years, and probably for always. The world 'depression was very evident wherever Mr. Boyce wen 4- In Japan the silk industry, upon which the country mainly depended, was in a bad way. Many factories were threatening to close or had, in fact, closed; and the Government was being called on to purchase all stocks at a fixed price. That, said Mr. Boyce, was a very western notion.