ABOUT BOTTLES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2870, 7 September 1916, Page 7

ABOUT BOTTLES

WHY A SHORTAGE EXISTS

WILES OF THE GERMAN

Ono result of tho outbreak of tho war over two years ago was a shortago of bottles throughout tho British Empire. Browers, chemists, and othpr persons interested in bottles found that they could not secure the lines they required, 'even at greatly.inorcased prices, owing to tho fact that they had been drawing their supplies largely from Germany. The efforts of iho manufacturers of the United Kingdom have improved the position to some oxtont sinoo that .time, but oven now an empty bottle is worth a good doal moro than It was. in the early part of 1914, and tho collection of bottles has becomo a form of patriotic oifort in some part's of Now Zealand. . Down in Dunedin tho school ohildreii havo been collecting bottles iii support of tho patriotic funds.'- . o

How Germany; came to control the bottle industry is explained in ono or the recent publications of tho British Board of Trade. Prior to 1882 tho glass bottlo industry was ahilost entirely in tho hands of British manufacturers. But in that year there was a great strike :in tho bottlo works of the North of England, and tho Germans seized their chance. They got a grip of the bottlo industry, and during tho next quarter of a century they sold bottles in tho United Kingdom at prices that "defied competition."' They had one price- for their homo market and another prico for export; in. fact, they "dumped" bottles, and the British ■ manufacturer lost the trade.

A new development occurred in 1907, when an American inventor upset tho bottlo trade'by producing a bottlemaking machine. Tho maohino was enormously efficient,' and tho old methods of making bottles by hand had to bo abandoned. But an American company demanded £600,000 for tho European rights of iho machine, and the Germans were hot prepared' to financo this purchase. After negotiation the rights wore acquired by manufacturers in Britain, Germany, Austria, Holland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, acting collectively, a certain proportion of tho necessary capital being raised in each of the countries. . The British glass manufacturers formed an Association of Glass Bottle Manufacturers, and the Continental manufacturers undertook to keep prices at a fair level. But the German and Austrian firms broke the agreement," and "by various underhand means" they reasserted themselves in tlio British market. It took tho war to push thom out.

To-day the British manufacturers aro busy, and the Empire's supply of bottles, for the storage of beer, medicine, and 'other necessary commodities is being replenished. But the manufacturers are nervous about the future. They state that iu the bottle trade big production means cheap production, and that the country which • can "dump" surplus products at cost price will hold the trade. Britain undor prewar conditions was open to the dumper: Germany was severely closed against him. The conditions pf the future havo still to bo decided.'. ■ '