The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “ The West Coast Times.” FRIDAY, MAY 6th, 1921. BRITISH INDUSTRY.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 May 1921, Page 2

The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “ The West Coast Times.” FRIDAY, MAY 6th, 1921. BRITISH INDUSTRY.

Ai.tmou.ii we bear a great deal noout strikes and hold ups in Great Britain, there is another side to the question, which in the midst of all the trouble and turmoil suggests that given fair play British industry is able to hold its own. A late commercial journal published in London gives the following in-

sight into the position in a recent issue, and the information is very pleasing indeed as a warrantry of the soundness at heart of the Motherland’s industrial activities. The article in question goes uii to say : Of the many favourable impressions obtained by oversea visitors to the British Industries Fair at the \\ hite City, undoubtedly the most striking was that of the high quality and excellent workmanship of the goou.displayed Nothing could have catered moie effectively for the advertisement of British manufaeturs than this aspect of the Fair. Not only so, hut in more than one respect the exhibition was - an eye opener to some of our own buyers not actively in touch with British industrial developments outside their own trade circle. It has been mure or less common knowledge that during the past few years efforts have been made to produce several commodities which before the war were supplied by outsiders, but the extent of the success in this direction has been little known among buyers and traders generally. In the chemical line it was evident from one group of exhibits at the White City that developments have been little short of remarkable. Some excellent samples of salicylic acid, soda salycitate, aspirin and other chemicals and druggists’ sundries, which goods were before the war imported in fairly large quantities from either Germany or Switzerland were on view. They wore declared to lie of as good a quality ns that of chemicals produced abroad, and, what is equally, satisfactory, the production in the United Kingdom at me present time is regarded as being quite sufficient to supply the home trade. The production of synthetic perfumes, such as artificial violet, oil of roses and jasmin, which were for the most part in the experimental stage before the war, have now developed into really practical and highly promising industrial undertakings. Another feature of the Fair was the extensive collection of leather goods. This clearly demonstrated that from the point of view of finish and durability 'there is nothing to equal the Britishmade boot, bag or case ; while in saddlery and other fitted work it was evident that wa are a long way ahead of competitors. It is only in the fancy class of leather goods that foreign competition is likely to go against us. The Germans have been producing some remarkably fine and cheap grades of the fancy kind, hut there is every possibility of some United Kingdom mannfne.tures competing well in plated leather goods. In the cheaper kinds of fancy pottery The Germans are our superiors, hut in Carlton ware and other highclass pottery productions British articles are beyond the reach of competition, and the specimens of this ware on view at the Fair have aroused much favourable comment from foreign buyers. In office appliances British firms seem at least to be able to hold their own in regard to finish and utility, and it was particularly interesting to note that the product of a well-known English firm of typewriter manufacturers not only compared favourably .with the serviceableness of the larger American machines, bnt it could he placed on the market at half the cost of the latter. Surely these features, which are but a few of the commendable points of British workrofliwWp ssen ftt the White City, fully Justify Britain's olfllm to ft premier »hwe in th® irei’UVs niariiftts,

and should encourage home production * to the fullest possible extent. It is 1 mainly the exchange problem and the financial difficulties of otliqj- nations j at the present time that hinder our in- ( dustrial and commercial expansion. ,