Living Standard Will Depend upon Exports
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ADDRESSING members of the Institute of Export at a recent luncheon, the President, Mr. Leslie Carnage, M.A., .M.C., said that, looking back over the past few years, he was struck by the extraordinary variations which have taken place in the attitude of the Government, and in public opinion generally, towards the export industry. . 1,V1len the wac broke out export received scanty attention until someone in Government circles appeared to realize that with the vast purchases we were making from America a considerable amount of exchange -would be required. There was an immediate outburst of exhortations to increase our exporttrade by every means in our power. Then came Lend-Lease, and with it a complete reversal of the Government's attitude and, apparently, an agreement with the U.S.A. Which seriously restricted the territories te which we were allowed to export,
Whilst Lend-Lease has been of incalculable benefit, he mast say most emphatically that, so far as our export trade is concerned, it has raised a series of complications of an unpredictable nature. He could never fathom why, from the, time the U.S.A. came directly
into the war, Lend-Lease should have . been continued. He would have thought that we and the other United Nations would have put everything we had to give. into a common pool, asking lie payment now or after.
At present one tends to feel that one is committing a crime in endeavouring to keep going our export trade, but it is now being realized that after the war export will be a first priority, not only because, with the loss of our overseasinvestrnents, we shall have to export a great deal more—some say 40 or 50 per cent—to .maintain our pre-war standard of living, but for -the reason that without a. great increase in this direction all our hopes of social security will become no more than idle dreams.
He was convinced that although Government help would be necessary, it is upon ourselves that we must rely, and he hoped that the co-operation in both production and research, which the war has brought about between manufacturers, lviii continue.
We should also be able to do much to relieve the import position by` continuing many of those schemes for eliminating waste which are now helping the war effort.