COMMERCIAL MANUFACTURER REGRETS SALE OF FAULTY BOLTS TO FARMER

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28261, 26 April 1957, Page 19

COMMERCIAL MANUFACTURER REGRETS SALE OF FAULTY BOLTS TO FARMER

Regret that the bolts had been included in a package for sale, and agreement that the rejects should not reach the consumer are expressed in a letter from a Wellington bolt - manufacturing firm to the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association.

The letter is in reply to a complaint raised in “The Press’’ recently by a North Canterbury farmer, and referred to the secretary of the association (Mr R. T. Alston). The farmer brought to “The Press” several bolts which did not have threads, although some had parallel rings on which it was impossible to screw a nut. Without minimising justification for the complaint, the manufacturers said: “The product in question undoubtedly comprises pieces run off during machine setting, and have, unnoticed, escaped the scrap bin. While every effort is made to prevent this, in mass production it is inevitable that some fractional percentage may get through. It is probably most unfortunate that in this instance there should be a concentration to a single purchaser. “There is no lack of brand information as to who the manufacturers are. The brand name is not only on the carton, but is also on the head of the bolt. It would be imagined that if there is no concealment of the source of supply, the manufacturing company is prepared to stand by its product. That is precisely what this company is prepared to do. We are quite confident that the percentage of reject material, which may unfortunately find its way into consumer hands, is no greater, nor the type of errors more varied, than would be found in similar products of other manufacturers in any part of the world.”

The farmer who complained challenged the president of the Manufacturers’ Association to try the screw nuts on the bolts, and offered drinks for each one. In reply, the manufacturers have stated that they would like the farmer to visit their plant. If on such a visit he could discover the same fault as the one presented, from the contents of 50 packets chosen at random from stock, the company would refund his return fare to Wellington. “We are very sorry that there has been cause for complaint, but feel sure that there is no justification for an attempt to discredit New Zealand industry,” the manufacturers conclude. Mr Alston said that after the complaint a number of manufacturers had telephoned him and said that recent supplies of, overseas bolts had “suffered the same complaints.” Farmer’s Comment “If my challenge has sharpened up the manufacturer and made him realise his responsibility to turn out a good product, I am well satisfied with the result,” said the farmer who bought the bolts complained of. The manufacturer’s comment on the report in ‘‘The Press” was referred to him when the farmer said he still wished to remain anonymous.

Personal.—Mr M. A. Craven, general manager of the New Zealand Portland Cement Association, left Auckland on April 24 by air for Canada. Mr Craven will visit the U.S.A., England, Scandinavia, and the Continent, and expects to be away for four months.

“As for their invitation to visit their factory, I have sent so much money in tax to Wellington in the past that I would sooner head for the South Pole,” he said.