Trade Markets to be Studied:
Cotton Goods Inquir; for Practical Politics London, July 25.
In the House of Commons Mr. William Graham, the President of the Board of Trade, announced that the Government proposed to send. almost immediately a most representative trade mission to the Far East for the purpose of studying the market and "also finding out! whether there were any financial or other measures which could be re~ commended to this country and. which could be made practical politics in developing what huge and very important market if we could gain effective access to July 26.
According to the Secretary of the Development Council of the Department of Overseas Trade, the Trade: Mission to the Far East, to which the President of the Board of Trade referred in the House of Commons on Thursday, will consist: in the main of a mission to study markets from the viewpoints of trade generally There will, however, be a special cotton trade' section, a part of the expenses of which will be paid by the Lancashire cotton industry.
The constitution of these missions is not yet complete but will pro ably be announced about the mid-idle of next week, The missic will Teave about the third week in September.
Both employers ard employees will be represented on the cotton mission which will be almost a small replica of the joint committee fof the cotton. trade organizations in Manchester. is possible that the cotton sec time in Canada East, Some time also will be spent in Japan and about three months in Chis The mission will be away altogether about six months As they fare government missions they will report to the Government and not, to trade organizations and on their return the Qverseas Develop~ ment Coaneil will consult with them very closely in order to receive their full recommendations, The mission as a whole will probably be the most powerful Economic mission to leave the country for many years. The woollen, engineering, and other important industries, as well as cotton, will be represented.
'The report of the Com of the Economic Advisory Council for the cotton industry, which was published early this' month, very [strongly urged the cotton industry, to send a mission or missions to examine, the changed abroad, particularly in the East.
The report, after declaring that the crisis was urgent and. that immediate action was imperative, said that if the industry self did not embark immediately Jupon a serious consideration of the Imethods essential to a recovery of trade, it would be the duty of the ]Government to consider the question lof invitim: Parliament to confer upon the Government the necessary powers for carrying the Committee's recommendations into effect.
'The report, it may be recalled, recommended the improvement of technical methods, including the use fof short-stapled' Indian cotton im. reference to the more expensive long-staple American cotton, the manufacture of choup standard lines lin which British goods thad been largely ousted in the Eastern markets, and also the use of ring indies and the introduction of automatic and semi-automatic looms.
The formation of larger units in the spinning and manufacturing sections, in order to permit the formulation of a definite production, policy, was suggested—Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.