TRADE WITH GERMANY.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17419, 1 April 1922, Page 7

TRADE WITH GERMANY.

rsEoumoxa IN AUSTBABEA. (iBOM OCR OWN COBRESTONDKKT.) SYDNEY, March 25. In order to allay the apprehensions of business people in Australia regarding the danger of dumping, when trade is resumed with Germany in August next, i the Minister for Trade and Customs (Mr Rodgers.) has given a clear statement as to the stops that axe being taken by tho Federal authorities for the protection of industry. Mr Rodgers said that there was a mistaken impression, both in Australia and overseas, that Australia's tardiness in resuming trade with former enemy countries was duo to a spirit of vindictiveness against our former enemies. This was not a correct interpretation of tho position. The war Jiad brought home with telling conviction to Australia hor geographical isolation and her dependence for existence during war tinio upon supplies from overseas. It also revealed the woefully undeveloped state of many pf out primary and secondary industries. The present economic condition of several former enemy countries, snd the depreciation of the exchange value of their currencies to a large extent nullified the effect of the tariff protection provided by Australia. Tho Government therefore determined that it would a definite period of immunity to Australian industries from the full blast of competition caused by the abnormal conditions prevailing in many foreign countries, chiefly former enemy countries. A period of more than three venrs had been granted. On the resumption of trade in August next the Government would, as far as possible, protect both Australian industries and British industries from the continued effects of such abnormal conditions. It proposed, therefore, to put into operation immediately tho anti-dumping provisions of the Industries Act. Enquiry would be made by the Tariff Board regarding particular j goods, to be followed, where necessary, bv tho imposition of the dumping duty. Tlio ovetsea organisation of the Customs had been strength ened to obtain the necessary information concerning goods being sent to Australia. j

THE LURE OF THE WINDOW.

(PBOM OPE pWW COaBESPONDBNT.) LONDON, February 17. Sir C. F. Higham, M.P., in an address to the British Association of Display Men, said: "I am a great believer in a brighter London because- this would attract foreign buyers. Tie quickest and oheapest way to get a most brightsoma "London is to light up a.ll tho windows in the West End. From tho hour of closing to eleven, every shop window of central London should be lit up as an exhibition of the ability of the traders to serve tho public of tho world. Such a scheme would lead every proprietor to care more about his windows. In London alono there are about 2,000,009 people who never have a ohanoe to look fairly at the shop-windows in the day time. Bright windows at night would bring people to the West End. From tho point of view of the proprietors of tho shops it would bo very good business. Tradesmen generally forget that they pay half their rent for the shopwindow—the price of premises is large-' ly a question of frontage l —or they would make more use of it. Mostly it is used as a place in which to store goods. Everything 13 piled into it, whereas no window ought ever to be dressed over the 'line of eye.' The attitude of far too 1 many was that it was 'nonsense to dress windows more than onco a month,' and 'when I get time' wfta a very general attitude of small shopkeepers towards this important matter. The best form of windowdressing is the simplest, and it is within tho jSower of every shopkeeper to dress his window by reduoing the display down to single articles. Windowdressors belong to an underpaid craft because average shopkeepers have not renlised yet that one of the Best salesmen is tho wfndow-dresser, or the potentiality of their windows as an advertising medium."

US. WOOL MARKET.

ENDUSTF.Y MENACED. (raoji ovn ovrx oobrkspondent.) SAN FRANCISCO, March a. Judging by tho continued boisterous howls hoard from the manufacturers of woollen goods in the United States, and. tho unnumbered resolutions they have been passing at meetings of associations connected with their business, tho whole industry is menaced, chiefly owing to shortcomings in fcho present American tariff and further-' more, the fear of foreign countries flooding the States with raw material from outside, while immense quantities of _ American grown wool is still languishing in warehouses, virtually withheld from the markets by low prices. That influential and wealthy body of American men, the National Association of Wool Manufacturers, has been in annual session in tho hub of the American wool business, and they passed a series of motions, ono of which was an urgent appeal for tho speedy enactment oi the Fordney 'tariff Act to end the present "alarming position" of tho wool industry of tho United States.

This resolution read: "Whereas tho wool manufacturing industry of the United (States is 111 the alarming position of being obliged to pay an extremely heavy tariff duty on tho rawmaterials necessary for tho continuation of production and of having inadequate duty on its products; and whereas, unless tho now 'tariff bill is passed and tho present situation cor* rected within a very short. time tho closing of many mills is possible end probable; therefore bo it resolved by the National Wool Manufacturers in annual meeting, that each member of tho Association bo asked to use every practicable means to effect a prompt enactment of tho Fordney Tariff Act now before tho Senate Committee on Finance, so amended as to afford pro. tection to the American wool manufacturing industry." Truth as to Fabrics. . Concerning compulsory branding of wool fabrics, tho Association adopted the subjoined resolution:' "In both Mouses of tlio i'edoral Congress and in several State legislatures measures havo been introduced for tho conir pulsory branding of wool manufactures to indicate their fibre content, incorporating the misleading term 'virgin wool,' implying the claim that new wool necessarily is of superior quality. Therefore, be it rosolved that' means be taken to call to the attention of lorislators the danger and tho undesirability of logislation of this character. Among tho points which should bo omphasised in bringing this matter to their attention are its costliness to the public, its complete futility as a moans of helping tho ultimate consumer to judge the value of his purchases of wool products, and its _ unfairness to American mills in that it cannot effectively be applied and enforced in tho case of imported fabrics. ; "Therefore, be it resolved, that thiß Association, recognising the desirability of protecting the publio by every effective means, favours the passage of tho Rogers-Lodge Bill now pending m both Houses of Congress, making it a misdemeanour to misrepresent any sort of merchandise in Such' commerce as is subject to regulations by the Federal Government/' Mr Paul T. Chermgton, secretary of the United States Wool Manufacturers' Association, in the course of. his lengthy annual report, said the year 1931 m the wool manufacturing industry had opened badly. "In September. 1920, wool manufacturers'quite generally had taken their losses on wool ana yarns and completed .goods, which had been formerly appraised at prices representing high war levels and which could then be replaced 1 at prices which had followed the liquidation of agricultural products. The losses were taken and the goods were opened, but it was not until the. lightweight season began to crowd upo» the heavyweight openings early i» 1921 and buyers feared an actual shortage of spring goods that orders began to develop. Subsequently goods were sold on narrow margins." Mr Cherington added: "It has been disappointing to the industry that the full penefit of liquidation, go resolutely faced a year ago and' since that time, has not reached the public. Whether, as; has been variously charged, the cause in in tho wages of the clothing makers, labour, or in tho costs of distribution, or in tho profits of cutters and distributors, or in a combination of seme or all of these, is not clear.

High Price Bugbear. "It is a fact, however, that the public has not received a reduction in the price of its clothes commensurate with the liquidation of fabric prices. For the wool manufacturer the unfortunate result is that consumers are inclined to feel that the continued high level of prices must be the fault of tho making of tho clothing's chief visible ingredient fabric. Labour and distributing costs he is not to regard as part of his suit. • •■The main cause of anxiety of the wool manufacturer is the fear lest the demands of a discontented consuming public for low priced clothes shall precipitate a flood of imports of European fabrics made and sola under abnormal oonditioris, against whioh the so-palled 'Emergency Taritt' offers no protection, and to which it actually adds a supplemental handicap. To th©_ ordinary reasons for prompt taxiff action, there is thus added .at this 1 time the Unusual one that the greater part of the wool industry's raw material supply is now under virtual embargo. _ "This is effected by the omission of the proviso from the skirting clause exempting wools ordinarily cpmmercially skirted from the payment of double duty. This omission doubles even the gonerous duty on grease wool levied by tho Emergency Tariff and makes the duty 30 cents per grease _ pound on most kinds of clothing wool, Jt was bad enough for the wool manufacturing industry to have this virtual embargo in effect for a period of six months, but tho indefinite extension of it until the passage of the general tariff act is putting tho industry into a serious dilemma. It now has no taritt protection on its products and an extremely high tariff ott its raw materials." A Woolgrower's Year. The assistance of tho Emergency Tariff is dictating tho course on valu«» in the woollen markets of tho United States for raw wool, according to a lencthy statement issued in Boston. There has been less speculation m the seaboard markets but this has been partly because the supply pf wool has become considerably reduced and stocks with which to trade are not plentifulThen, too, prices have been ™«hed upward with considerable speed in the list three or four months, advances having been made to the extent of «a» to 60 per cent, in that time, bo that tho wool trado . naturally has come to a nause in trading. "Manufacturers are less keen than they were, although hero and there a sale is made from day to day and the total volume of business is fair. There is no disposition for prices to ease except that occasionally it has been observed that some holders of low scoured wools, which wore advanced rather sharply following tho last Government sale, nave reduced exorbitant prices. Thero is mistaking the fact that this is the woolgrower's year and that he intends to take full advantage of the tariff situation. With the acknowledged shortage of wool occurring in conjunction with the Emergency tariff, which, is acting practically to pro-

hibit the importation of foreign wool, the growers are holding prices up inordinately. The outstanding feature of the American wool market recently has been the opening of bids for the Jericho wool pool, amounting to about 750,000 pounds. This is Utah v. of fairly good length and of fine and fine medium grade, a very useful wool of the finer type, although not choice, estimated to shrink this year possibly 63 to 64 per cent. The highest bid for the wool this year was 36J cents which was made by the American Woollen Company, and would mean about one dollar ten cents on e clean landed basis on the Boston market. The second high bidder was Thomas Vi olstenholme and Son, another manufacturer, of Philadelphia, who bid 35J cents. A year ago the highest bid when the sale wae held wa3 16f cents, or less than half as much as was bid this year. All the bids were rejected and the growers intimated that 40 cents would be the lowest they would consider for the wool.

PRICES IN GREAT BRITAIN. DOWN TO LEVEL OF 1916. According to the records of tlie "Statist," the wholesale price-list of 45 representative commodities in Great Britain at the end of January was the lowest since July,' 1916. There was a further decline in January, continuing the downward movement that has been unbroken sinoe April, 1920, with the exception of a slight rise that occurred last July. In comparison with January, 1921, prices of foodstuffs are lower by 3oj per cent., and those of materials by 31' per cent., the average decline for the year having been 33 per cent. As & result prices of foodstuffs in January were 67 per oent. above those of June, 1914, and those of materials 61' per oent. higher.

UNITED STATES TARIFF.

DUTY ON WHEAT. £iy C&M»—Press Association—Copyright.) ustzsliui and N.Z. Cable Association.) WASHINGTON, March 30. The Senate Finance Committee has decided on a. permanent wheat tariff of 30 cents a oushel. This is a compromise between the Payne-Aldrich and the .emergency tariffs. The new rate is designed to prevent an influx of Canadian wheat such as occurred when the emergency l&w was "being framed. The emergency law carried a rate of 35 cents a bushel.