ENGLISH HARDWARE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2691, 10 February 1916, Page 7

ENGLISH HARDWARE

-0— ■ AFFAIRS IN THE MANUFACTURING CENTRES. An idea of the state of affairs existing in the English hardware manufacturing centres in December last is given, in the following letter to a South African firm. from, a Birmingham merchant:— "You. will no doubt have felt disappointed at the inability of some' of our manufacturers to give satisfactory deliveries. From recent conversations with South African visitors, I gather that the position is hardly fully appreciated on your side, and consequently there is, at times, a lack of sympathy and consideration, which, unless coun-ter-acted, is apt to- reflect itself upo£ 'British trade after the war. . Perhaps ' the position is best explained in tlie words of Lord Murray of Elibauk, the - Director of Recruiting for Munition Works, as reported a lew days ago. He said: 'Ships, guns, armour, rifles, bullets, and all kinds of war munitions aro pouring out of British factories in an uuending stream, that will increase until Germany is overwhelmed. Over a million men arid, women are labouring on munitions. 1 "It also must be remembered that : our new armies aro' mainly drawn from the ranks of labour. Furthermore, the output of many hundreds of works ill Great Britain is controlled by the Government, so you will readily understand that tho chief concern for the time being; is the out-turn of war munitions for 'ourselves and our Allies, and no matter how anxious or willing manufacturers may be to fulfil export orders the needs of the field armies have to be considered first. In other words, {he principal business of England today is to bring the war to a successful and 6peedy conclusion', and the means adopted are the only ones to do this. Nearly every works, big or . small, is ' 'doing its bit.' For these reasons, there is, at present, a. scarcity of raw materials, of labour, and cf transport facilities. , - "I know that this position will not help you much, as you must have goods to supply your requirements, and will bo tempted to place orders away from England. However, if you will restrict your needs as much as possible, we shall be able to supply them, and there must come a time when present munition demands will slacken, and-colonial orders will have the preference. Speaking generally, manufacturers here are now bettor equipped than ever to deliver goods, and, with your co-operation many articles which are now being imported from tho States and elsewhere can shortly bo replaced by British-made goods. "You may also wonder why prices . have advanced so much. The main reasons are' increases in costs of raw materials and labour. Our own raw material factories can barely' supply military requirements, and the only other \ available source—the United States—is taking full advantage of this, and is 'sticking us horribly' for what we are compelled to purchase, although apparently their homo trade prices are practically normal. Do not; therefore, conclude that British manufacturers are making abnormal profits—the advances asked are justified by the circumstances. "In conclusion—and this is an appeal tn your patriotism—l hopo that any motion brought forward in .South Africa to imposo a duty on goods of German or Austrian orijrin, imported after tlie v.'ar is over, will receive your hearty support. Our manufacturers will then require all the business you can give them, and it is unthinkable that enemy manufacturers, will ever be again enriched by British Empire trade—at all events, to the extent existing before the war. Some articles England cannot supply, tho majority she can, although, perhaps, not at such low prices in every case, and the efforts of tho British Board of Trade in this direction deserve your encouragement and suptiort. "I sincerely trust that 1916 will isee the defeat of our enemies, and tho conclusion of a. peace that shall be satisto the whole Empire."