ENCOURAGEMENT OP BRITISH INTERESTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2699, 19 February 1916, Page 6

ENCOURAGEMENT OP BRITISH INTERESTS

MOVEMENT IN BMTAIK. In view of the early opening of the New Zealand British' Fair, -writes Mr. I'. Kasey, 1 feel that tho following article which; was sent to me by Mr. Matthias Watts, of the Birmingham Business Club, should be of interest. Mr. Watts was speaking in favour of the British Industries Fair being an annual affair, and gave some idea of .the great . Leipzig Annual Fair.' "Let us imagine," 6aid Mr. . Watts, "that wo have reached Leipzig during Fair time, and if you had not taken the. ■precaution to boot accommodation at some hotel a month alic:id it would be. futile, to look for any in Leipzig. Accommodation at hotels there 'in Fair time ' was looked upon as a sort of freehold property,. and handed down from generation -to generation. No one in any part of the world had any doubt as to the date of Leipzig Fair. It was as well known on ,tho Continent as Christmas Day. _ It was the first Monday in March. Nothing would tempt them to alter that date, and the British Board of Trado 6hould act in the same way. They should settle the date for the British Industries Fair, and when once fixed it should bfl unalterable. "The Leipzig Fair is supposed to open on the Monday, but really it opens on the Friday or Saturday preceding, If you arrived on one of those days you looked upon the goods you wanted to see v and carefully made a note of their location; if >\n didn't, you would not have the slightest idea of their whereabouts when yon went to fee them again, for thero aro twenty miles of corridors, all containing goods. Sometimes you see the good bring carried round the town for inspection with a plain show card giving the manufacturer's name. If von know how to go about it you get a"bird's-eyo view of the Fair in half an hour. The name of every manufacturer is set out, first in alphabetical order, then according bp his stock rooms, then according to his trade, and finally the i'/wn in which his. manufactory is situated is given. It-is very simple. The Fair is simply a collection'of stock rooms. Tlio result is that in . a day or two you can ( see the whole of the industries "of Germany; you can see more than you would seo in twelve months in any other way. re..-ple can find everything." they want t;hcre ; The language ousstion presents no difficulties, for you find people thero who can speak any language. Yon can soe tho commerce of Germany in one dar, no matter whether yon wero English. Spanish. Japanese, »..t Persian. "The benefits of tho Fair to Germany aro incalculable. Whcro there is on« manufacturer in Eneland who did a direct foreign trade, there aro from 25 to 50 in Germany, .and they are Wit all largo manufacturers either. This Fair onables the manufacturer to get his foot on tho ladder. Tho Fair ha 6 been a great economic a-dvantago to Germany, and is such to-day. .While not going into ils history, they had to recollect that in Germany everything is linked up with the Government. The Fair is run by the municipality of Leipzig, or its Chamber of Commerce, but a Chamber of Commerce in Germany .is very different to a Chamber of Commerce in this country. There a. Chamber of Commerce was an official combination. The Loipzig Fair i is not an exhibition. There were no side-shows, no prize bands, no scenic railway, no water chute. Thero was not even a refreshment n»m in the Fair Buildin»>- It was not a rendezvous for knuts and flappers. It was a business proposition conducted by business men. Business men went to Leipzig to do buiness. Everyone who went to Leipzig encountered either a storm or a blizzard; the unto suggested that. It was no pleasure iyitin&. Leipzig eet up no pleasure. side6110WS. ,

.The committee which had been appointed to draft a report, had put into that report that the number of exhibitors in Leipzig was over 3000; that the number of buyera (not visitors) was 1.1,000. Later. 'The Times,' which was usually accurate, cajno alone and tried to "boom a Leipzig Pair for London. Their figures were interesting They put tho exhibitors at 4100, tho buyers at 14,010, exclusive of_ 11,303 buyers from Germany and Austria. Those were tho buyers officially registered in the Fair boolcs; there were assuredly others, so that they would hare in all a total of 30,000 buyers. Then as to the volumo of trade done at Leipzig. That was astounding. Wishing to bo on tbe right side tho committee put it in tho report at from 10 to 20 million of pounds in the week. The 'Observer,' which was also anxious to boom a* Fair' for Loudon, said that the generally accepted estimate was that of trade was done at tho Fair each year. "At tho British Industries Fair organised by the Bserd of Trade last year, the number of exhibitors was GOO, but tho results had opened the eyes vf many manufacturers to the possibilities of such an institution. Many of those who participated wore astounded at tho amount of trade that came to them, although it did not'surprise thoso acquainted tho Leipzig Fair. Bnyers wore as deliKhted as manufacturers, because, instead of running up and down tho country, they were able to place their orders quickly. Buyers whv had previously refused to see their travellers came anil expressed delight at the goods thej- saw displayed. Such. Fairs meant an immense saving in travelers* expenses. The whole of the noble GOO were delighted with their experiences, and at a banquet ?ivcn to them by Mr. Hunciman, they bowed that the Fur might be held in London annually. The pulling power of this Fair was enormous. AVhat an advantage to have all the buyers coming to them instead pj their travellers having to ferret them out for vrdors. The British Industries Fair would liavo to bo advertised by the Government in a manner beyond tluv power of any manufacturer and its pnllmg power would be so great that no buyer would bo ablo to "ston awav.

We most declare ivar on tho commerce of Germany, and enter upon a campaign which would rival the military campaign with which wo are r<.w con eernert. We are appealing for volunteers for this creat enterprise. Join at. once Don't wait until we oome to fetch von' Ton may ask: What are tho terms of en' listment? Throe years or the term of t.lio war wonli! bo all too little. TV O anpeal to you to enlist for a pcnvl 0 f" °0 years, or until the great schome i-a coiiinlelcd. Many of 11s may not live'io '««> if. completed in all its grandeur. wo full out of tho vaults, others p-\ To'capable will stop into our nlaerw. Th" workmust go ijy, and it tnirrht v«t I><> (™<-t for a mail to ?ay: 'I, tio. fcoi&it Jn tho jEaeafj battlo of. Leuou^ 1 "