Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

OUR FOREIGN TRADE

SOUGHT BY BRITAIN AMERICAN MERCHANTS ACTING . A' determined effort to oapture New Zealand trado which in the past has found its way to Germany,, is being made by British merchants. A great deal of the work is falling upon the shoulders of H.M. Trade Commssioner in New Zealand (Mr. W. G. Wickham), and ho has already, - circularised about 2500 importers in the Dominion, to the following effect:— "Sirs, —Many British manufacturers are now shut off from their market on the Continent of Europe, and are anxious therefore to find fresh outlets for their goods. On the other hand, many articles hitherto supplied largely both to the United Kingdom and foreign markets by Germany and Austria are now being, and will as time goes on to an increasing, extent be, manufactured in the United Kingdom. The Commercial Intelligence Branch of the Board of Trade is working with a double staff to focus information on these points, and bring buyers and sellers together. Exhibitions are being organised trade by trade, samples of foreign, goods in demand being arranged for manufacturers to study with a view to meeting the demand. Importers will find it to their advantage to instruct their buying agents in London to get in touch with tho Board of Trade, at 73 Basinghall Street, E.C.,, and submit samples or particulars of any ahd every class of goods required. They will find that the Board of Trade has a very much more intimate knowledge of where goods aro being and can be made, than they have in the past been ready to believe. By doing so, they will in a practical way assist m the good object of relieving distress and maintaining employment in the United -Kingdom during the winter. Importers not having branches or buying agents in London are invited to send to me. for transmission to London full information (not samples) as to goods previously bought from Germany and Austria, if possible with f.o.b. prices,. which they wish to buy from United Kingdom manufacturers." '

Attached to the circular is also the following■

Buyers are desired for the following goods of British manufacture: —Bedsteads ; blankets—cotton; brassware, plumbing and water fittings; clocks and Watches'—general and electric; clothing ■ —tailor-made costumes,, rubberless rainproof goods; dextrinos; disinfectants: dyes—aniline and vegetable; electrical apparatus; embossing and stamping machines for paper; enamel ware; fire clay goods;' furniture; gelatine; glassware—bevelled mirror plates; glove fasteners; lamps—metal filament, arc, and vaporised oil machine parts, machinery for making lace, boots, and paper; manures; metal goods; motorcar fittings and accessories; paints, var-

nisbes, red and white lead, eto,; paper-grease-proof bags, packing, insulating, I eto.; photographic appliances and accessories ; polishes—boot, floor ; and metal; rubber goods; scientifio instruments; surgical appliances; vacuum cleaners, oto,, otoi To a Dominion reporter yesterday Mr. Wickham said that the fist onty contained a fow goods, taken at random from the Board of Trad© Journal. Iraporters .in the past have been inolined to neglect certain lines of goods in England, and the impression has got about that the Old Country is unable to J; compete with Germany in those goods. Such is not the case, he contends, and if buyers will communicate direct to the Board of Trado they will be at once put in touch- .wi& some English manufacturer who can supply their wants. Already numerous replies have reached Mr. wickham requesting further information.

That the English manufacturers would get support on' all hands, in preference to foreign manufacturers, is evident from the statements made by a number of leading importers yesterday to a reporter. In the past, it is contended, the Home manufacturers have not been so enterprising in seeking trade as Continental merchants have. Now, with the elimination of German representatives, British manufacturers may feel confident that everything will go their way, without effort on their part. Such will not bo the case, however, as already American firms are making all endeavour to securo a portion of the New Zealand trade winch previously went to Germany. Tho importers here are quite willing to support England, and the consumers aro even more so, but if the English merchant lags behind in the raco, lie will find himself left without the prize, which will go to t'lio more enterprising noutral country. Mr. Aersley, of tho well-known firm Messrs. Goorgo and Korsloy, Ltd., states that is. their intention to support British industries as far as they can, and wherovor- it is possible for them to do so to buy British goods. They believo tho customers will appreciate tlioir efforts to brin(j back .to Great Britain t'lio trade which she lfeld at one timo. "Wo notioo,". said Mr. Korsloy j "that tho Americans, in their trade circulars, are using every effort to introduce tlioir manufactures into, and to capture, tho trade of tho British colonies and Sputh America, and unless

tho British manufacturers have their representatives out hero, or got them out here quiokly. it is quite ovidont that America will find its way to get some of, our foreign trado. We beliovo on the whole that tho British manufacturers can produce a bettor articlo at tlie same pinco than the Americans oan. In-Borne lines such as hosiery, American manufacturers,' aro doing well at present, but if dimples aro sent to England' they can bo made thero just as well."

The manager of another large ing firm pointed out that his firm was only buying in the English and American markot now, as that was all they c»uld do. They did not anticipate any difficulty in getting supplies for some timo, but it would be early in tho Now Yoar, when the now season's goods wero required, that amy difficulty that might bo expected would ariso. There wero many lines in glass and cluina which tliey had/been in tho habit of importing from Franco and Grmany, which would be cut out altogether, and now the. question was whether the English manufacturers oould supply those goods. A well-known chemist, who received the'circular from tho Trade Commissioner, stated that in the'past the markot for toilet requisites had almost en-r tiroly been held by foreigners. Tin's was due not altogether to the inability of the English manufacturer to produce an article equal in quality to that produced by the foreigners, but rather to the fact that ho was lacking in good salesmanship in the matter of preparing his goods for tho market. As an instance, j he quoted perfumes, tfhere in appearance and gonoral "get up" the French and German article was far superior to the British. This failing had been: pointed out to the British manufacturer on many previous occasions, without the desired result, and unless he now rose to tho ocoasion it was not likely that tho markot, which would be secured by bim in consequenco of tho present crisis, would bo rotained when business resumed the normal. The same remarks ap-

plied to linos of soap, in which tho French, German, an ad American manufacturers appeared to' have a strong hold upon .the market for similar .reasons, and tliero wore toilet powders and numerous othor linos whion could also ho mentioned; Tho British manufacturer would require to grasp the idea, that it was his business and to his advantage to 6ati6fy tho wants of the t^llOf, tyhfl in tiim had to meat the dejn&mfe of the public.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19141125.2.38

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2316, 25 November 1914, Page 7

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,219

OUR FOREIGN TRADE Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2316, 25 November 1914, Page 7

OUR FOREIGN TRADE Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2316, 25 November 1914, Page 7

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert