Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

BRITISH TRADE.
DEVELOPMENT IN
AUSTRALIA.
Mr. R.W. Dalton, his Majesty's senior
Trade Commissioner in Australia, who is
in Adelaide, is anxious to get in touch
with local business people, with the object
of developing trade with the United King- j
dom. Mr. Dalton was appointed last May,
and this is his first special visit to this
State. The Department of Overseas" Trade
in London has representatives in various
parts of the Dominions, and also in foreign
countries. There arc ( Australian offices
in Melbourne and Sydney, and it is hoped
j that trade will be so develoi>ed as to ne
cessitate the opening of offices in other ]
cities. :
Mr. Dalton, in an interview with a re- j
presentative of "The Advertiser" yesier- j
day, said as a preliminary to discustii:^ i
probable avenues of trade he wished to i
meet prominent official aud business ':
people, and to study the conditions trhich
existed in South Australia from an eco
nomic as well ;is a general business point
of vjew. It would be impossible t<_> de
velop trade unless be studied and made
iimself acquainted with local problems re
lating to the life and activities of the
people. In this way he would be in a
position to advise people at home regard
ing the prospects and the best methods
to be adopted for taking advantage r.f
them. Great Britain had been sufferimrj
from a severe depression during the last |
three or four years, and, takinz things i
generally, there had been a slight improve- !
ment recently. This improvement was j
noticeable in the textile industries. The J
n-on and steel industry was still depressed,
but there were hojtes of a revival, al
though the manufacturers had to con
tend against continental competition. As
iar as exports were concerned, Mr. Dalton
said he thought opportunities existed for
considerable development. British fines |
were showing much greater interest in
the overseas markets than they had been
doing in the past, and were particularly
interested in trade with the Dominious.
Australia was now Great Britain's second
most important market. The number of j
manufacturers who were comins out here
to investigate conditions for themselves
showed that the importance of tbe Aus
tralian market was being realised.
Asked what particular line of trade was
most capable of development. Mr. Dalton
paid the motoi- car trade was shoivirsj
great activity. British cars were sellin"
much more freely in Australia than l.ye-{
vioiisiy. British firms had been able to'
j place oa the market a car which was suit- j
j able for Australian conditions, and a!so j
capable of being sold at a price that could
compete with tha foreipii car. There had !
n" a P"s3* increase in the number of i
British cars imported into Australia <!ur- i
ing the last year or so. This increase,
judging from die activity of the British
firms, was likely to be accelerated in the
near future. Several firms liad organised I
with the object of catering for the Aas- j
trahan trade, and the cars now !k?;iic '
turned out were quite suitable to Aus- ;
tralian conditions. ;
3Tr. Dalton, who is accompanied by Mrs
ltolton, intends to remain in Adelaide for
some weeks.
$