Mr. Latham has presented his report on his mission in the House Jot Representatives. It is to the point and should make some Austratian exporters sit up. Mr. Latham affirms that there is an enormous market in the East for Australian goods, but says that it will never be won while Australian exporters persist in sending goods abroad below contract standard, unevenly graded, and packed in an inferior manner.
He quoted many striking instances of Australian trade being ruined by 4 few careless or dishonest exporters, and has suggested that where exporters were incapable of realizing their obligations to their country the should be excluded from the export trade. He also advocated the -apointment of trade representatives in commercial centres in the East, and said that their appointment would probably be fully justified if they did nothing more than correct mis statements and prevent misunderstandings.
He had been at first surprised, next disappointed, and then almost angry, to learn that some Australian exporters persisted in sending goods abroad below the contract standard, that Australian exporters of flour to the Netherlands East Indies had reduced the weight of standard bags of flour. Some Australian exporters did not seem to know what an attractive label was. It is, hoped that Mr, Latham's remarks will have some effect.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.