A SIDELIGHT ON GERMAN PRICES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2420, 27 March 1915, Page 15

A SIDELIGHT ON GERMAN PRICES

CONVICT-MADE TOYS. The Government exhibition of Gep> man and Austrian toys in Cheapsidfwas well attended by members of the trade, who were impressed by tho extraordinary cheapness of many of the lines. The bulk of Germany's trade'is in toys retailed at a few pence, but as England purchased £1,183,703 worth of German toys last year it is evident their trade is worth capturing. Wo have in' the past been urged to imitate the Germans "ad nauseam."Some of the revelations lately madffi concerning Gorman trade show that the Teutons have occasionally surpassed' themselves, attaining to a business finesse in which wo could not possibly, hopo to rival them. Thus the "Evening News" cites an extraordinary ex-, ploitation of the British market in con-; nection with a British toy invention. . This was made by a Gorman in a smallway of business, who started with? £3000'. borrowed from an obliging Ger-: man bank. As soon as the plant was established tho bank applied to the German Gov-; (irnment and obtained tlio services of 175 convicts, who were sent down atfive o'clock each morning to the, works: in charge of aimed guards.r ...The work-.-shop, in fact, became a prison factory..: Tho bank paid to the German Government an amount equivalent to Is. 3d. per , day for each convict, and out> of this amount-three halfpence wont to, each prisoner, to-form a. fund .for, his benefit when released. In addition to* the Is. 3d., the bank.paid, three half-, pence a day for the. maintenance of each; convict. The men were taught a good •trade and cost the ' Government nothing. Cases, for tho toys wore made : in tho same factory, packed there by, girls, sealed with a leaden Government seal, and sent to Hamburg for ship--ment—all for England. . ' This seal, was, only broken'after the goods left Hamburg, and the mark in ink upon each toy, "Made in Germany," was easily removed by the agent in this country.. The toys were delivered in Loudon to tho retailers at 3s. lOd. per dozen, and were sold to the public at 6sd. each. British labour for the same class bB work would have.been, at. the, current rate, from 4s. 9d. to ss. 3d. a day. ' Thb Deutsche Bank made all ncce's* sary trade inquiries, collected and the business .was guarded in Lone don'by their own clerks. The same toy was sold in Berlin at Is. 3d., marked 'Made in England."