"MADE IN BRITAIN"

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2285, 20 October 1914, Page 6

"MADE IN BRITAIN"

APPEAL TO MERCHANTS AND THE PUBLIC. At yesterday afternoon's meeting of the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce, tho following appeal from tbo British Trade Commissioner in Now Zealand (Mr. W. G. Wickham) was road:— ' . . "May I appeal to you, and to your members through you, in a matter of some importance to British trade? Statements aro constantly being made by merchants, who, in the past, have dealt largely in German and Austrian goods, to the effect that these goods aro products obtainable only from these countries, and not from England. Recent cases m point are enamelled hol-low-ware, carpenters' tools, pencils, stationery, gas and electrical goods, and certain specified drugs. Now, Sir, many of your members know those statements to be untrue, for the good reason that they have been -handling tho British makes for.years; but not many realise that it is their duty both ■to the public and to tho British manufacturer not to allow these statements to lie unrefuted. Furthermore, they have an excellent opportunity for pointing out to tho public that they at least have been soiling good quality British goods beforo the war. There has been little justification for much of this trade with Germany in the pa,st; there is ' still less justification for directly instructing the public to transfer their custom to America. I need hardly say that the services of my ofiico, and of the Board of Trade, are at the -disposal of all who want accurate information on such points. Thero are, and always have been, in most lines manufactured in tho Dnited Kingdom ready to mako coml>etitively what is being procured from tho Continent, and the activities of the Board of Trade, now in tho limelight of Press notices, have been for years directed to putting such manufacturers in touch with , markets."

The Chamber received the letter, and decided to send copies of i(t to all members of the body. i