ORGANISING BRITISH INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2420, 27 March 1915, Page 26

ORGANISING BRITISH INDUSTRY

WHAT THE ENGINEERING FIRMS HAVE DONE. . The British Engineers' Association is a sterling' example of the organisation of s industry. It institutes the first af> tempt on the part of British engineers to organise themselves for tho purpose of securing a fair share of the foreign trade. The combined capital of the 250 firms of British manufacturing engineers in the association at the present time amounts to about, £100,000,000, and the members' betwee.i them cover the whole range of engineering plant and accessories thereto. Though not a trading concern, the Association is in a position to find a British manufacturer for every engineering requirement. • The official directory of the members of this association just published will greatly assist purchasers of engineering plant by giving them accurately and without loss of time the names and specialties of bona fide British manufactures as distinguished from foreign firms who, have secured business addresses in Great Britain, and who, in some cases, use the word "British" as a part of their.title: thus the real original ,of their goods is often obscured, with the. result' that' a very large'; quantity of' inferior engineering plant, is annually sold as- "British" which is not manufactured in Britain at all. As thft best means of overcoming this difficulty, the Council of the British Engineers' Association decided to issue this official directory of its members with a classified list of their specialties. Every bona Me British manufacturer of engineering plant and accessories thereto is entitled to join the association, but no ■ firm is admitted to membership who has foreign interests such as would be detrimental-to British engineering., interests. The fact' that a firm's name appears in this book is therefore a guarautee of its .standing as.a British manufacturing concern, and it is the only director}; which can claim to give this information.

It has been submitted to the Foreign Office and is being issued to all British Embassies, i Legations, and Consulates throughout the world, and to all the British Trade Commissioners attached to our various colonies and dependencies.

At the request of the Board of Trade it has been with their Commercial Intelligence Department for reference in connection with all inquiries for engineering material which may reach that Department from abroad. Every entlea/our is also made to place tliis directory in the hands of tho purchasing departments of foreign Governments and other important users of engineering plant.

Buyers of engineering material and machinery, ivho desire to have this allBritish directory for reference should make application for same to Mr. Stafford ftansoim;. secretary. British Engineers' Association, ,"J Victoria Street, Westminster, London, S.W,