GETTING BACK TO BUSINESS.

Shannon News, 22 November 1921, Page 3

GETTING BACK TO BUSINESS.

MANUFACTURING CONDITIONS TO-DAY. BRITAIN WELL IN THE FIELD. In conversation with a representative of the Shannon News yesterday, Mr W. 11. Gunning had some interesting particulars to impart on the manufacturing conditions of to-day. Our Dominion is responsive to the controlling influences of the big world centres of commerce, and the effects of the business depression on the other side of the globe are readily reflected here. During the war, said Mr Gunning, a great many Old Country manufacturing concerns had to turn their activities to the making of war necessities, and it was only natural that /nany articles which in normal times were plentiful enough became scarce, and in many instances went off the market altogether. There was a shortage in a good many lines still, especially in soft goods. The reason of this was that immediately aifter the war, manufacture was taken up with all speed and backward orders were turned out in abundance. With this immense quantity of goods thrown on the market, prices- slumped, and retailers in New Zealand set out on a price-cutting competition to get rid of the immense stocks that were coming to hand. Whilst this was going on, nothing was being imported), and stocks were allowed to run low. At the present time there were shortages, and some classes of goods were sold dht almost to bedrock. This was not. confined to soft alone. The result of the trading of the past five or six months was that many firms had lost the profits they had made 'during the last five years. There was no doubt that the last twelve months had been the most disastrous in the experience of many New Zealand firms. 0 ENGLISH CROCKERY WARE.

As regards the conditions in manufacturing the coal trouble had had a great effect on the output of English products. Crockery was one, and Mr, Gunning said that orders that had been placed more than two years ago were only being received now. In fact, only a small quantity of this class of goods was manufactured during the war, and stocks had become exhausted. Japanese stuff had to be taken to replace English, but on the whole it was very rough and inferior, and the public here never took to it. Speaking from experience, he considered that the Japanese arti-le would never be a serious competitor with English crockery. In pre-war days Tts low price was its principal selling factor, but now the laps, were 1 Asking as much as English firms—and they were not getting the sale, and never would where the Old Country goods were to be got at reasonable rates. i BELGIAN GLASSWARE. Mr Gunning stated that the Belgian manufacturers were again entering the market with their glassware, and & fair supply was now available. They were experts in sheet glass and numerous other classes of glass manufacture, and their goods were of high quality. In pre-war days, too, Bohemia specialised in glass products, but go far her goods had not re-appeared, no doubt owing to the conditions still obtaining in some of the European countries directly affected by the war. HOW AMERICA IS AFFECTED. Turning to some American aluminium ware, Mr Gunning stated that it might not. be known among the people generally, but the exchange rate being against us was re-acting on American trade with British countries. The fact that our £1 would purchase only about Iss worth of goods in-Ame-rica was a big handicap on the sale of their products in our country, as-' well as in Britain. The position was voiced by an American traveller who passed through this part of the Do-, minion recently. He stated that Brittain could adjust the matter if she liked, but she was satisfied to let it go as it was at present. There was no doubt that the exchange rate was hitting back so far 'as America was concerned, but exchange was, nevertheless, ope of the big problems of today. THE NEW TARIFF. Mr Gunning touched - on the new tariff recently introduced in New Zealand. It was right in many respects, bqt there seemed to) be a lot of uncertainty about it—it was not definite enough in regard ”To - many articles, particularly in regard to soft goods, such as cotton piece goods, colicoes, etc. Under the old tariff lots of farmers’ goods of English manufacture , were, of course, duty free, but so were the same class of articles, whether they were of American or German origin. It was not known how these latter were affected, and the details in regard to this and many other items should be made more explicit. „ BRITISH MANUFACTURES. British manufactures, Mr Gunning said, were now coming to hand pretty freely, and was generally up to the standard of pre-war days. It was sat-

isfactory to the retailers, to be able tohandle a full complement of British goods again, for without doubt there was nothing to compare with them in quality.