BIG TRADE AWAKENING

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3199, 25 September 1917, Page 9

BIG TRADE AWAKENING

A NEW FEDERATION WOOLLEN AND SHIPPING INTERESTS . A Federation of Woollen Merchants and Shippers of Great Britain and' Ireland, has been formed to' promote tho general interests of Hie Industry, elates tho "Daily Hail." The new organisation is one of many'that has come into existence since the- outbreak of war. Indeed, but for the war it is probable that the new federation would never have been launched. War, however, Has a way of disclosing or intensifying the existence of weaknesses ana also of indicating ways and means by which such troubles can be remedied. In this instance the immediate cause of.j£e woollen merchants and shippers of inoxbuntry deciding that the lime had come to surrender individual action in favour of collective action was the to eay tho expressed intention—of woollet manufacturers to shorten the terras and vary the conditions under which business prior to the war had hitherto been, transacted between those directly concerned. The result was a "getting together" movement on the part of the woollen merchants and shippers'and the formation of a. federation with a membership consisting.of practically all tho leading houses connected with the trade of the Kingdom. The new organisation has started its career under exceedingly favourable auspices, with t,he following fully representative members of the industry as its first officials:—

President—Air. P. Holland (Messrs. Holland and Sherry, London), Vice-Presidents—Mr. E. W. Morgai, (Messrs. House, Mead, and Sons, Ltd., London.). Treasurer—Mr. W. M. Clear (Meesrs. Everett, Clear, and Hayward, London;. Socretarj—Mr. F. W. Le Blount Lean (London). The council consists of Messrs. k. A. Brown (A. Brown and Sons, London), G. Donneuil (Dormeuil Freres, London), E. W. Fisher (Fisher and Co., London), E. [C. Leaman (J. and J. Minnis, London), G. Tauber (Alosae, Dayral, and Co., London), H. E. Broadbent (Thos. Cresswell and Co., Hiiddersfieid), H.. P. Dugdale (Gugdale Brosi). Patterns Copied by Germans. The federation hopes successfully to £eal with many abuses which in the course of ye.iTS have been allowed to creep into the trade. One of its objects, over-sea readers will learn with interest, is the protection of the public against Kiss descriptions of goods. Defined rather more specifically, this means that a conibind effort is to be made to prevent in future the sale of German wool'lons as British. At first sight' the duty of checking this evil would seem rightly to devolve upon woollen manufacturers rather than upon ' woollen merchants. But members of tho trade point out that merchants act ae the intermediary between the ta-iior and clothier and the woollen manufacturer, and as such, are in direct communication with the consumer, and, therefore, in actual closer touch with those affeotwl by the practice of traders who pass off inferior German cloths as British-made materials. In this connection it is also contended that woollen merchants possess facilities denied to manufacturers of tracing cases of copying exclusive- designs. ;For instance, merchants have been known to obtain samples of British cloth ol special pattern'an'd to pass them on to German manufacturers to copy at a. considerable reduction _on the price of the original fabric. It is in matters of this kind'that tho federation whenever occasion calls for it intemts lo take immediate action. .Having tracocrthe offender who supplied tho German manufacturer with the samples to copy, the facts will bo placed before the British manufacturer of the goods, who can bo relied upon to do all that is neccsenry to protect Jiis interests. In the past 'ftuhnic-made cloths have frequently been sold as British to tho detriment of lljfl reputation of home manufacturers, while sonio leading firms havo,/in not a lew instances, found that their cxclumve patterns, after being'copied by German manufacturers, havo been, sold at several tlulliugs per yard less'.than the price of , the original material. This ovil, it is conmiently expected, will bo effectively "scoEched," if not killed,,as a result of the joint acliou it- will 1)0 possible for woollen merchants to take, through the medium of their federation, and acting in conjunction with manufacturers; The organisation also hopes lo he the means of improving the relations existing between merchnuts and woollen manutacturera. In tho- past difficulties have arisen in regard to such questions ae terms of payment and measureuiouttf. As a matter of fact it was differences of opinion on these points, between the parties concerned, which led up to the establishment, of the federation. ,And | already good work lias boon done. ■ Conferences of merchants and manufacturers were recently convened and held, and the outcome of taking counsel together was a satisfactory rearrangement of both of tho mailers referred to. ]n addition the .federation hus proved exceedingly useful in dealing with questions that havo arTscn in relation to the supply of cloth for Government purposes, lu order tTiiiT. tho enormous demands of the military authorities could be met the Government found it necessary (o issue numerous regulations affecting tho woollen trade. These might havo caused a "ood (leal more inconvenience than has been The case to the civilian trade, had not the Government committees concerned been able to consult the federation at various stages, ajid thus secure the advantage of Iho advice of men expert in every department of the industry. Illegitimate Competition. AnoTlior objoit of the federation is to curtail, as far ns possible, certain forms of illegitimate competition. Tailors and clothiers have, it in alleged, been prono to declare to commercial travellers that they wore able to obtain greater advantages in relation to terms, etc., from ono firm than, were allowed by another. By this means concessions wero olten reluctantly given by merchants in order to secure business And unfortunately, owing to lack of friendly co-oporatron, no means existed of ascertaining whether or not lEe etalements mado were accurate. The new organisation is breaking down fte spirit of business jealousy which formerly ruled, and now, when statements aro rna-un suggesting that unfair competition is being indulged in. no hesitation is felt,in-applying direct to the competing house for confirmation, or otherwise, of the story. Business, it is hoped will as a consequence, bo easier in tutine fo transact and an effective quietus given lo many practices winch have proved of questionable advantage to few and oi undoubted disadvantage to many.