CHEAP GOODS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 27, 13 November 1935, Page 11

CHEAP GOODS

WOOLLENS FROM JAPAN.

THREAT TO LOCAL INDUSTRY.

(Special to the “ Guardian.”) < DUNEDIN, November 12.

A note of concern respecting competition from so-called woollen goods imported from abroad was sounded to-day at the. 62nd annual meeting of the Mosgiel Woollen Company. “Imports of largo quantities of medium and low class goods, some of the later wrongly described as ‘ all wool ’ or ‘ woollen ’ have had a serious effect on the sale of our higher-class goods,” said the chairman, Mr J. S. Hislop, “and unless drastic steps are taken to have these importations correctly described, the trouble will continue. .. “Whilst it has never been considered by the directors advisable to speculate in wool, it was thought that in view of the low range of values ruling last season, and the very much reduced rate of interest on deposits, it would he a sound investment to purchase more than our annual requirements. This decision has been fully justified, and, I trust, will meet with your approval. . “Prospects for those engaged m primary industries are much brighter than at this time last year, and with higher values ruling the purchasing power of the public should bo considerably improved. With larger stocks at our disposal, and an already cided increase in orders, the directors are hopeful that the coming year; will show an improvement in our trading. Mr T. C. Coull also dealt with the question of imported S oods > raised an interesting issue legardi o certain classes of British goods, » Vesting that the Government should undertake ail investigation, dealing with Japanese competition, he sam that the position was very seuous, and one very difficult to deal wit . At the same time, quality came m, and that was probably where Japanese competition would fall down, public would buy goods of low grade and try them out,, and not reliable, the probabilities were that they would return to tlieir old buying channels. It behoved man facturers to teach the public to buy on quality, and not altogether on kind of, competition, said Mr Coull, came from British sources, from which large quantities of worsted o-oods were coming on to the market. Large quantities or woollen goods had been imported into the Dominion at very cheap prices, and they had been proved to be not up to the standard set to-day. They had been branded as “all wool,” but investigations had shown that in many cases the goods contained 50 per cent, wool and 50 per cent, cotton. In some cases, too, the wool had been taken from old garments previously used and recarded. It was time that the Government investigated the position, and protected the public from having such goods foisted upon them under the economic stress which had prevailed in recent years. It might be expected that the housewife would turn, towards a cheaper class of goods, hut she was beginniiug to learn that cheap goods were deafer in the long run. , Iheie appeared to he an indication that the pendulum was swingiing the other way, and that people were becoming tired of cheap goods.