COUNTRY’S OUTLOOK

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXIX, Issue 8302, 26 April 1932, Page 2

COUNTRY’S OUTLOOK

NO CALL FOR PESSIMISTIC VIEW

SIGNS OF RECOVERY

TRADE EXPANSION MOVEMENT

That a return to more prosperous times in New Zealand may be looked for in the near future was the opinion expressed by prominent business men at the annual meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and the New Zealand Trade Expansion League.

The president of the chamber (Mr C. J. B. Norwood), in moving the adoption of the report, said there was no call to view the outlook pessimistically. “I have come to the conclusion,” ho proceeded, “that there is no need for the measure of pessimism that really does exist in this country, and I cannot help thinking that this is partly because we have been so singularly fortunate in not having a really serious reverse over such a long period. Although our profits are almost —and in many eases wholly—gone and serious inroads have been made on the capital account, there is one thing the slump cannot take away, and that is the personal ability which has been such a big factor in the creation of the little or much we each individually possess and that we shall benefit much by the experience through which we are passing. There can be no doubt at all that in Britain there is a decided change for the better; unemployment has been considerably lessened and this improvement must be reflected in New Zealand very soon.” PROSPECTS IN THE EAST Mr W. J. Poison, who presided at the meeting of the Trade Expansion League, which comprises representatives of the leading exporting and importing houses in the Dominion, the Farmers’ Union and prominent business men, staled that the main rbject of the league was to tap new markets for New Zealand products. After referring u> the impovt.-ince of the Ottawa .Conference, Mr Poison wont on to say that at at time like .his, when our best custonuv was ■ iverburdenco. and saying plainly chat she could not take more of our produce, New Zealand should adept the policy that a business man would adopt, and that was to go out and find other outlets for her products. There was, in the first instance, an excellent market in the East, and the speaker quoted the example of what Australia had done in the direction of expanding her trade in this sphere. He thought that New Zealand’s best opportunity lay with China, for there was, for instance, a product of China which, if trade relations wore established with that country, could be imported to New Zealand at a very low cost and used in the pig industry with great advantage. China in turn could take a lot of New Zealand cheese, butter and bacon.. The speaker also mentioned Mexico and the west coast of jouth America as countries to which New Zealand could look for further markets.

TRADE AGREEMENTS

In an interesting debate in the r House recently, Mr H. E. Holland, j the Leader of the Labour Party, had . declared that trade agreements with other countries were essential, Mr Poison said. It was such agreements t that had made Germany the greatest 3 trading country before the war. She 3 sent out delegations to other countries, and came to trade understand--1 ings; the Government providing subj sidies not only to industries, but r shipping subsidies as well. Australia was following that plan tot day. It was essential that somo ; body in New Zealand should be form--5 ed to further the idea of extending the country’s trade. He was convinced that expanded trade was the only solution to the present unemployment. Increased volume must be substituted for decreased value. “There is nothing wrong with New Zealand,” declared Mr A. S. Tetzner, the next speaker. “Production is increasing. The dairy products are showing an increase of about 7 per cent, every year. We are producing . more and more butter, more and > more cheese. The wool industry is . ready to produce still more wool. ; The only trouble with New Zealand . is lack of markets.” With increas- . ed production prosperity would follow for all parls of the community. Now avenues of employment would - oe opened up, and there would be oprortunity for hundreds of Ne,v Zealanders to go abroad and handle the products of this country abroad. THE WAY TO PROSPERITY Subsequent speakers spoke in a similar vein. It was realised that while there was uc desire to in any way hurt England, that country could not take the whole of New Zealand’s products. The way to prosperity in the future was increased production, and increased production could only be achieved when fresh markets were found. The speakers gave numerous instances of New Zealand produce and goods which would be in keen and constant demand in. other countries if once a trade' connection were established. It would be necessary to send out trade commissions armed with samples, literature, and selling contracts to establish connections, and the general opinion was that the league should do this of its own accord without, iii the first place at any rate, calling on the Government for assistance. America, said one speaker, was now beginning to realise that she could not continue to remain behind a ,'tari'ff' wall, and New Zealand, whose prosperity lay in her export trade, must search for new markets and show that she had the goods.