COMMERCIAL NOTES FROM HOME.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18231, 15 November 1924, Page 10

COMMERCIAL NOTES FROM HOME.

PURCHASE OF EMPIRE - GOODS.

RISING FOOD PRICES

(*«01E -CCB' OWlf. COSSZSPbSDZSt.)

LONDON, October 7,

Discussions regarding the German loan- have-been taking place in :the city.- »Euling> out -the hrrge • body of people who Trill on principle have nothing .to do with the loan because of Gcrmanv.-'s' war' record, her financial turpitude, and her capacity for unfairly competing with British trade, there remain those who'will appraise the.loan purelvas-a'financial bargain, the..value of which depends on the chances, of Germany duly paying the interest and rc-paving the principal. ."That the loan is highly speculative," writes the . City Editor of the "Daily.Mail," "is indicated by _the probable interest yield' o'f about B~p"er cent., which stamps it as a third or fourth ratq Government security. Germany,'by her mark 'jugglery, has virtually, repudiated the whojo of her enormous paper currency, the whole of her pre-war bonds, still largely held by British'.citizens,: and the whole of her. war debt. -In face "of this' contumelious defauit/is it'a fair rislt to-'entrust more money to Germany even at 8 per cent? What of German political conditions? •Is the regime Do the -German people give "such evidence'' of sincere, desire to, accept their obligations to the Allies, as will justify 'the .subscribers believing that the German Government and nation are \\dioJe;h.ear,tedly behind the loan! These are the that are being asked by City people."- ;

■..'■" /Better Trade Prospects. ■Possibly on tHe principle that, belief an'vsuccess, is half -way-to success, the V'Daiiy Express"; has been telling the public under glaring headlines that prosp.eritjr /rejgns/ in v var;ous manufacturing districts of England. It is. an optimism which is probably, based .on a.certain amount of truth and will doubtless, do some gop'd; ' "'"' ,' , KThe- country is on the ..verge of a great * wave of trade prosperity,' 'declared' .'Mr P.'' 0. Minister 'of Pensions, in .a: speech 'at Mansfield..

f Mr-Lawrence - Holt,' of Messrs Holt and.'Co*., Shipowners, : of Liverpool, at a ■launch • i at- Barrow.-on'Tyne, said '.' the workmen; in the "shipyards ■ had done everything to bring .costs down, and that he, was. convinced .British, builders could".compete, f with foreigners. "Some-, tiling'• iii ■ the"..nature, of/ a ; G.ov.ernm,e;tit; enquiry .into orders sent to .Holland has b'eg'iin> '. 'j'said, Mr. .Holt,. '-'.and I suggest thatxan- endeavour, should be made/to fin'dyo'utjat:what price steel is delivered into l^utch;shipyards. .'lain convinced that j steel; deliveries" to Britislr yards arc..at -oiiich.higher prices." r '"' of .coke has: been reduced b.etwecn-;3s-and<3s 6d atony and'the iron-; •industry• wjill "<feel the benefit 'at qnce. VTI1& reduction," said Mr Gl P. iFiizGorald^: e&tqr of th© World'' : 'Ks,' a& importaiit" one for' which". \'. the iron! trade": has'.'looked'eagerly. -■Large ;j)ig 7 irpnv; hay© vbeen held up ''coke Was:'too'dear.. Mariufaeturere-. will ■■now'- bey.encparage'd; ••* ,to pr,oc'e«d;with;- the' smelthig/ of - ; ; tlieSeVa ! p ; - 'iron/- /The 'fuel ■' wUlvrriake-this:>po&- ' sible,'/lind' the" effects'/ ■'. ho" .■ felt throug&piit^the.industry;'.';• . : ; . .;■ •''"

irasVb^i£:'sn^ '•• iw-JiaTb&ry'th&ilQW-'est grade'of ;iea;. v sbld; : byj all ithe qtfality "2's - reduced the;-dutyfonvtea'''by} 4d per lb, r : .and ;prjce9rJdrppped ,■ accordingly..: Following; ,'ffie;:'Budget however, there ..was^at^oniEesa'j'n^^^^ '•sumpiibii''of i this■ beverage." J ■ The *'; supWere' not/sufficiently-.? elastip;. to demand, ■ whicJi.-beforertb'e .Budge* /Was' quoted l ;.2s:'3d per: lb, : x j^^ : ;VM^K^^'^PP^>'^ a '^ r --^o'' , Bud-j l s: ;ll d :vper lb,, ; has ,riseti--'a'gain.':to 2s-!per r lb,; and is.'to bp fearer, &tili.iri,theivery-near -future. .The prices- of all.teas are-expected -to incfefas© ye'ry': shortly. ' ;■'■','.■ ■':'■■ ; *<C?off6e, Jwhieh Hn) January' last '>wa.s v 9Uftl^d;.l;a : tf|'s;;6di^ei--lb, :is . quoted .tb}day>at■'■ls;: H)d per.'lb; .The eipianatfinr- again'ri'tlia't' of dftty hasjle<dftb increased.' cpnsumptibny; which aga|n--has _ operated !the 'law -of .supply and- demand caused. ;the rise; Biscmts|":on: .an have'gope -up id*! "per vlb; ■, TlieHncrease is to T»-due-'Tto'- the,- 1 increased ' prices; of '.* ■-•'■ ■•'•'■, :i ';>-:'•" ;-■'■;,':

' w S^i"pe>\'l.b; : "and no-TeditctiOn conteiiplftted:; It is; stated'that;the .'coun-triesJ'-'frfiich supply Greats Britain- with incathave;finally gauged thia' : cbuntry's so to r'egul^te;tb^;.'supply that:the present prices jrUlr.^"''-' tt4 W'^i n^''; 'fp r '-i s . o ' Q '® .months. bread'rose-last-week, ~The .prica ibfc:milk has, been! raised;;i,o. 7d a quar£-' 'ln' rnany >; cases,"-th"e price of nshS'toVday; is; ; : eiactly doublb . that cliarged.: last (January ..i One of tho rea"soils i advanced, is that the pfbhibitive cqsfiiof ;reipair3, ;tb fishing vessels,; has :: owiiefi3>to ?deayo. damaged v«Bsels-a!dle, r with 'the result = the .supjplv.- Ip -limited.•-. .Bacon is now:. .2d ';"p^?VlbSdei^*-/-th'B'ri,-;:|&rlier'/.in' 'the : an<i; will be' dearer: during . the Months-beforo"'Christmas.. .. r :! 'fOnnrbh as' Strike Arbitaiatbrs. ;■ '^.CTie. V;sUggestion 'that- : leaders of in this country'should .take '■• in. ; tryirig to; bring _ em--.plbyerS^and with-a '!yXejvi'te;- i strifej i^as; !njWde by Mr ,V7ade : Deacon, presi;derlt;.. at;the' annual cbnference.;of xthe fßritis)i Gas Association;:at - i :'::'■'■■;■■':'■ n^tf'-'tl>teire".lw i asjto ; lbeja; said-'Mr 'Hado, ©bacon;;-there :in,ust .bo-some.; organisation" wluch" would: matters and- conditions; without '.sti-jJ£e3'/and • He suggested :-mikit 'be.'possible vf.pr>the -Churcbies at land -in fthe -matter; Why •;sb!ouldv nofetJie;-le'aders ; of. the Churches '—. iraalican,- Romili : Cathplic,i.and l!rea .■^cbrajer', -togbtuer:, .:and'- : ...." ascertain wliptHer'their' Suggestion s'.'and t'offer "of help\ would ..be', 'of use/.to bbth; ? was done to stop this sfrjlfbvinV industry,, 'the . bbuntry , wojjld '%. int-Ja ''■ very : dangerous' ■■ pp'sitipn in> a f«Sv^.years.t,' AltbTpugh sbme' people defomSn^/strife,, the great majority, of employers .'.and- employed 'wej-e vfpasbnable, "sensible, and honest : : merti/)v'':;;""''..-H..'--: ■;■ •'•.■■■>.,- ' ?.'v.""-"'

,of .?Jjiv4rp6bl' {E)t; -. \David), 'iit': iipjy : :Vtp~. I"i:esi3eiit ? s ■ iremarks, •fcje^ramithe^GliTirc&eSj'-arS once: or r -ti^ru&B ~* ■"even heard* a hint of it six or eight months ag6 in. Government circles, but this was" the-.first time he had heard ft from -the ranks of employers. It -was niqst -encouraging to find that there seemed to be a consensus' of opinion wit lihe ' Church ought, at whatever cojst. tb'> take'the lead in matter />f iiis H© could not" help Hoping that "Copec" might yet tV supply-lite machinerv for the purpose if Crrarcltes' gave the neoes--sary commission to carry out 'the president's suggestion. v ,( Xnternational Free Trade. ■•Forty to fifty people, the majority of Shem r delegates- from European conn-

. (Continued 1 at 'foot of next column.)