OUR LONDON LETTER

Hokitika Guardian, 16 June 1932, Page 8

OUR LONDON LETTER

EMPIRE PRODUCE. LONDON, June 11. A clause stating that quotations for Empire produce must be made whenever po-'sibie has been added by sixtysix borough councils and thirty-six county councils to their forms of tender, according to an inquiry just made. As a result, 1,250 institutions are now following the rule “Empire first’’ whenever adequate supplies are available. This follows on vis’itd' recently made by the Empire. Marketing Hoard’.s officers to 143 local 'authorities and 87 mental hospitals. ! A Th e London County Council provides for over 100,000 patients and staff and for the requirements of over 900,000 teachers, students and children. It is one of the largest hulk purchasers in the world, and has given a preference to British goods for the past 25 years. The Council js now finding it possible to buy a larger proportion of Empire goods than ever before. Out of nearly 1,400,0001b5, of apples consumed, 1,100,000 were Empire. New Zealand mutton and lamb is purchased to the tune of 105,000 stone. Austra : nan and Now Zealand butter, En f t African coffee, Australian beef, and South African fruit is also bought in large quantities. ,

EMPIRE fIMBERS. The Londoit'’County Council and other local authorities ' have also adopted the policy of using Empire timbers wherever possible. The Falmouth Harbour authorities, for instance, recently decided to use ; Australian turpentine piles for the new wharf at Falmouth docks. This decision was made after prolonged comparative trials with Arne, rican “greenheart.” British Columbian timber is now being used for harbour works at Belfast, Grimsby, Falmouth and Southampton and . for homing schemes on many of the .larger undertakings at Coventry, Liyerpoo] } Glasgow and in London.

Empire timbers (mainly Canadiangrown Douglas fir) have been exclusively used in 45 out of 47 of the major works for wihich the London Con til Council has received tenders during th last two years. Other woods used by 1V London County Council are E" 1 African teak, which ha- been accepted by the Council as a fire-resisting timber and is said to be unequalled for widows and outside doors; podo (the strongest known soft wood); African olive, and Australian hardwoods such as jnrrah, karri, Tasmanian oak and Oueen.innd wa’nut, which have decorated many of th e banks and public buildings creeled in London during tlhe Inst few years.