TAKING GERMAN TRADE.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 February 1916, Page 2

TAKING GERMAN TRADE.

ACTIVITY IN BRITAIN, BOARD OP TRADE'S CAMPAIGN. Since the war started affairs in industrial England have gone through many changes. The cutting off of supplies of a variety of goods previously imported from enemy countries created an extraordinary posvtion, which, has been very successfully met—in many eases—by British manufacturers. The Board of Trade lias played a great pair m tlie efforts which were then made, and are now being made, to ensure that at the conclusion of the war a large proportion of rtho articles "which had been imported should be manufactured in England. The facilities for trade in Britishmade goods offered to manufacturers and wholesale buyers by the Board of Trade were referred to by Mr. R. W. Dalton, who arrived in Auckland from England on Monday bjjJJie Niagara, en route for take up the position of his Majesty's Trade Commissioner in New Zealand (says the Auckland Herald). Mr. Dalton stated that tho British Industrial Fair held last year was part of the trade campaign organised by the Board of Trade. Anorther was to be held this year, and it was anticipated that the exhibition would become an annual fixture. "The idea was," Mr. Dalton continued, '-that during the war we should hold a fair in London on the lines of the Leipsic Fair. The Leipsic Fair attracted as many as 50,000 buyers from all parts of the world, and the intention was that we should endeavor to organise a similar fair in London fo- articles which could be best dealt with by an exhibition. It was proposed !to' include in the exhibition articles of a fancy description, and particularly articles which had hitherto been manufactured in Germany. It was felt that if (the buyers could be induced to visit London, they would do business. At last year's exhibition we found that this hope was realised in an extraordinary degree. People were led to purchase goods, of a better quality and at a higher price, which they formerly had purchased in Germany at lower prices. They realised that the difference in quality more than balanced the difference in price. Although tile manufacturers were generally extremely busy, we found them ready to en'ter into the campaign in the best spirit, and to dispose of .their output among various buyers rather than sell to any one customer.

VALUABLE INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITS. "When the war first broke out," con-, tinued Mr. Dalton, "tlie Board of Trade decided that the destruction of Oerman' commerce was almost as important as the destruction of her armies, and we fixed on the plan of bringing under I ltd notice of manufacturers the , trade Germany had done and how they might attempt to take it. In the first insttance, we issued abou 120 reports dealing with a particular class of goods in which Germany had excelled. The next thing wfis to establish sample bureaux in which we exhibited the actual articles with the prices which had been paid for them by wholesale buyers. The manufacturers were then invited to come and see [the sample; also, the wholesale buyers, who were hungry for the goods. The. two were thus brought together, and it was found that a large amount of business was done in the exhibition itself. The Board had a separate exhibition for each article of German manufacture, which wc collected ourselves. We then approached the wholesale buyers, who were only too anxious to meet the manufacturers and arrange for the making of the class of goods desired. The result was that a very large amount of business was transacted between them. It is hoped that an exhibition of British goods will be carried on from year to year. FULFILLING COLONIAL ORDERS. "In connection with this exhibition, and in regard to the general position," said Mr. Dalton, "I would like particularly to point out tluvt it is very difficult indeed for our manufacturers to meet the demands which are made on them for goods. Most of them are engaged more than their normal time in fulfilling Government orders. They have to scatter their business between their other customers, and the amount they havo for distribution is very, nuj'ii smaller than it was before the war. Bo that if buyers in New Zealand feel that they are being starved of articles which they formerly received in considerable quantities, It is because the manufacturers in England find it absolutely impossible to even nearly satisfy the demand. The manufacturers are not dilatory. It is a matter of very grave concern that they cannot meet their customer's wishes. Nobody can conctive what the difficulties of manufacturing are at the present time, without making a tour of the industrial districts. Apart from the enormous demands of the Government. the difficulties of getting some of the raw material, of getting the necessary labor, and in obtaining delivery of any kind of labor-saving machinery are enormous. FUTURE TRADE PROSPECTS, Asked what, are the prospects of the British manufacturers successfully contending with German competition after the war, Mr. Dalton replied !that in some linen (Icrmany could manufacture so cheaply that she might be able to get soine of her trade back. Whether or not, even with these lines, Germany would succeed depended almost solely upon the attitude of the buyers in the British dominions. "We hope, however,' added the Trade Commissioner, "that the buyers will realise from their experience of British goods during the' war that their superior quality more than compensates for (the difference in price. It is quite possible that Germany will not be able to manufacture any of these articles at anything like the price she did in the past, but there is not the slightest doubt, that she will use Iter greatest endeavors to recover tile trade that site had."

Mr. Dalton said in conclusion that he hoped to continue the good work done by his predecessor in New Zealand. Mr. W. G, Wiclcham, with whom he had conferred at Vancouver.