BRITISH GOODS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 17947, 4 May 1928, Page 8

BRITISH GOODS.

BUY WITHIN THE EMPIRE. PUBLIC MEETING IN TIMARU. Yesterday afternoon in the Timaru Municipal Chambers, a public meeting was held for the purpose of inaugurating an Empire Shopping Week in Timaru, to promote the purchase of Empire goods. There were 35 present, and the Mayor (Mr G. J. Wallace) presided. The Mayor expressed regret tnat there was not a larger attendance, and said he had thought the people of Timaru Avould have shown a livelier interest in a movement to encourage the buying of British, in preference to foreign goods. Mr J. P. Newman had been instrumental in calling the meeting. They were grateful to Mr Milner, and to Dr. Levinge for having come to Timaru that day to address the meeting. The Mayor went on to say that he had ahvays been an advocate of the purchase of Empire goods. So far as Timaru was concerned, they should first buy goods made here, and what they could not get of local manufacture, should be goods which had been made within the Empire. Loyalty demanded that they should do this. (Hear, hear.) Mr Wallace then called upon Mr Milner to address the meeting. , MR MILNER’S ADDRESS.

Mr Milner, who Avas received with applause, thanked the Mayor .for his kindly introduction, and explained that he did not pose as an expert in this subject, but he had been asked to come to Timaru to assist in promoting a little enthusiasm regarding it, and he was pleased to be able to comply with the invitation. He did not propose to speak words of authority, but would endeavour to emphasise the desirableness of all those who had the good fortune to live within the confines of the British Empire, doing their utmost to support the Homeland. When they looked back and considered < what Britain had done for therm—the splendid treatment they had received at her hands —the sense of gratitude was all-compelling. When they considered too, the great burdens Avhich Britain had shouldered as a result of the Great War, the sacrifice of human life, and the money she had poured out, they felt their obligations keenly. Mr Milner maije'it plain that he was not advocating anything to the detriment of the Dominion’s secondary industries, but for such things as they had to go outside, the orders should, whenever possible* be placed within the Empire. In some things, such, for instance, as the cotton and the electrical industries, it was impossible for New Zealand to compel successfully, and if all the component parts of the Empire were welded into a common whole, and the Motherland were given that share of the Empire business to which she was entitled, the unemployment problem in England would have been solved before this. i

Mr Milner went on to refer to the Empire Industries’ Association Avhich had been formed in England three years ago, with its ideal of a selfsupporting economic entity, and said that although the work of two of its stahvarts —Sir Alfred Mond and Sir Robert Horne was but briefly cabled out here, it was clear from English papers that the Association had done, and was doing, • wonderfully good work. It was satisfactory to know that branches, of the Association were being formed in New Zealand. This was probably the result of the Christmas message by Mrs L. C. M. S. Amery (Avife of the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs) to the women of New Zealand. The co-operation of the women of New Zealand in the matter would help wonderfully. Mrs Amery’s message contained tAvo main points—it made an appeal for the sympathetic treatment of immigrants Avho came out here from the Homeland, and it made an appeal for Empire shopping in .preference to the purchase of goods made in foreign countries. New Zealand’s duty was clear, and it was being recognised. Unity of Empire was one of the greatest of political achievements, and evidence that our Dominion recognised this was not lacking. NeAV Zealand had led the way in many respects; why not in this? Her purchases of goods from Home was the largest, per capita, in the Empire. New Zealand supplied the Homeland with half her imported lamb, mutton and cheese, with onefifth of her imported butter, and with one-fourth of her imported wool. This market was assured to New Zealand, and it was a big thing to have a stabilised market of this kind. The fact that they had this great and established market was of primary importance to a young country; and it Avas obviously the duty of Noav Zealand to reciprocate by purchasing Home-made goods. The speaker proceeded to refer to the activities of the United States and Germany, in the industrial Avorld, and said it Avas difficult to say what Germany’s limits with the application of science, were in this respect. These countries were making a great bid for the industrial supremacy of the world; and it should not be forgotten that the United States had the big advantage of a vast home market and' of mass production methods. But if. the enormous potentialities of the British Empire Avere fully exploited there Avould be no possibility of any rival out-distancing her. If our Empire held together and centrifugal tendencies were replaced by centripetal force, It could become the most powerful entity in the world. And It was their bounden duty to endeavour to bring this about. In a brief reference to Russian Sovietism, Mr Milner said that this had as its main objective, the disintegration of the British Empire; and he added that what they read in the newspapers in this respect, was not exaggerated. He went on to point out that the potentialities of our Empire were being developed through Empire trade; and they knew that no other Empire could equal the British Empire in its attainments and ideals in the matter of justice and humanitarian principles. Referring to protective tariffs and all that they implied, Mr Milner wont back to the days of Cobden and Bright, and contended that tariff walls are necessary.- The foreign trade outlets of Great Britain, he said, were diminishing; countries which used to look to Britain for a huge percentage of their imports were now to a large extent manufacturing their own; and the United States and Germany were now taking markets which formerly were tho preserves of Great Britain. But nnder Empire trade this loss of foreign markets by Britain could be balanced, and those living within the Empire should see that it was rio balanced, by giving preference to Empire goods. Mr Milner Avent on to say that in 1924 Empire purchases included: From U.S.A. 9/2 per head (notwithstanding that she had 38 per cent, of the apple trade); Turkey, 8s 9d

(with practically a monopoly of the date trade); Central America 7/S.' (AVitli 50 per cent, of the banana! trade); Spain 11/- (Avith 70 per cent, of the trade in oranges); Greece 18/8 (Avith practically a monopoly of the dried fruit market); Canada £3; South Africa £4 2s; Australia £lO 3s; and little NeAV Zealand £l7 7s.r The value of imports into the United Kingdom from the undermentioned countries in 1924, and the value of same per head of each country’s population Avere: —Canada £65,899,590 (£7.14 value per head of exporting country’s population) ; Union of South Africa £18,026,826 (£2.47); Australia £59 v ,022,426 (£10.04); New Zealand £46,964,167 (£34.94); British India £78,872,953 (£31); United States £241,189,641 (£2.17); Franco £66,578,211 (£1.69); Germany £36,888,265 (£.58); Russia £19,773,842 (£.14); Italy £18,227,633 (£.46).

As indicating how the total trade of the autonomous Dominions of the Empire l Avas growing, Mr Milner said that in 1380 it totalled £112,000,000; . in 1900 it had grown to £246,000,000) and in 1920, to £1,026,000,000. Referring to the United Kingdom’s imports, Mr Milm-r said it was satisfactory to note tlnjt the percentages were increasing. The extraordinary disproportion of purphasing poAver could be easily redressed if they pooled their resources and threw.in their lot--, whole-heartedly with • tyeir own’ ‘ Empire. There Avere 15,000)000 in the Southern Dominions. In the six moai/is, January to June, of 1927, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia had bought British goods to the value of £55,000,000. In Western Europe, there were 127,000,000 people and in the same six months, they ' had bought British goods to the value of £49,000,000. There were 300,000,000 people in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe, and they had bought in six months, of 1927,' British goods • to the value of £47,000,000. If England were to maintain her position, it was absolutely necessary _ that _ her* Dominions should support her in the fullest possible degree* The more cohesion there was, the greater Would , he the stability of the Empire. Last year 22,000,000 cwt of sugar had been bought outside the Empire, and only - 9,500,000 cwt within the Empire. In

the same period, 365,000,000 cwt or prunes had been bought from foreign countries, and only 25,000,000 cwt. within the Empiro. Of raAV tobacco, 118,000,0001 b had been bought outside the Empire, and 18,000,0001 b within the Empire. Australia was capable of almost indefinite development in connection with the dried fruit industry; and in South Africa there was scope for almost indefinite development in the tobacco industry. The same applied to the cotton industry. •. There were scores of places within the Empire where industries could be developed- • Twenty per cent of the employees in the glass trade at Home had been rendered idlh because of the importations of glass from Belgium, where the employees were paid a trifle over 6d per hour, while in England they received Is 3d per hour. There was necessity to safeguard the key industries, yet of iron and manufactured steel, . iA 1925 2,000,000 tons had been imported; in 1926, 2,500,000 tons; and' in 1927; 3,500,000 tons. It was satisfactory to note that the importation of British, motor cars to New Zealand ivas steadily advancing. In 1923 the number was 496; in 1924, 1015; and in 1925, 3442- _ In draiving his remarks to a close, - Mr Milner said tliat the preference which was now being'advocated was not a new thing, and the preference Avhich. had been already given had'had - a- wonderfully good effect-; Preference' by Dominions and Colonies to British goods Avas estimated to mean approximately £12,000.000 annually to British trade. The Homeland had saddled herself with an enormous debt on . account of the Great War. She did not whine, hut was sticking to -"-ner job with stoic heroism; and by trading, within the Empire, they could reinforce the ties of sentiment, , assist in binding the Empire more closely, together, and give practical effect to some of the gratitude they felt and tho admiration which they had for the Empire which had done so much for . Tli© address was followed by hearty and long-continued applause. • Dr Levinge spoke briefly, and after . . explaining Avhat had been done,irt Christchurch, expressed the hope that it would bo decided to hold an, Empire Shopping "Week. On the motion of Mr J. P. Newman, a heartv vote of thanks was passed to Mr Milner for what the mover described as a wonderful, illuminating,, and inspiring address. (Hear, "hear). Dr Levinge was also thanked-; and ' the Mayor announced that another . ’ meeting would be called at an early date for the purpose of arranging for an Empire Shopping Week in Timaru.