SUPPLIES OF PENCILS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 71, 24 March 1915, Page 7

SUPPLIES OF PENCILS.

OBTAINABLE FROM LONDON. OUSTING FOREIGN ARTICLES. It 'has been assumed that owing to the war there will be difficulty in obtaining supplies of lead pencils, as these have hitherto been largely obtained from Austria. As a matter of cfact, ample supplies of material can be procured firom Spain, Ceylon, airrd probably other oountrres. There are. moreover, severail well known British firms manufacturing pencils, sncSh as G. Rowney, Oohens, WolfeG, and the- Eagle Pencil Company. Mr. C. F. Blckford, attorney for the Eagle Pencil Company, in con versa tion witfh a representative of the "Star," said: "An impression prevaSs thai the New Zealand Government have comtracts with Fa.bcr's' firm. I ihave inquired, and find suuh is root the case. The great popularity of German and Austrian pencite in Australia and New Zealand » due to the fact that the makers were "the first people to serad out a direct trepreacntative to three conm'fcries, showing a complete range of pencils of satisfactory merit. Englisfh and American firms sent their reprceentativos later, but found it very difficult to oust theteopponents, who had jrcrt. ihdd of the AiustTaiasian trade, because tflvey were first in the field. But even before the outbreak of wacr Englishmade pencils were coming rapidly on this market. In fact, nine-tenths of the pencite used by the New Zealand Governmer.'t were supplied from the London establishment of my firm for tiie fast four or five years. The exception was special pemrafe, such as the *Kohinoor,' which, owing to its excellent quality, held the market heme in that class of article. Since the war, several of the leading English firms of pe/ncil-makere hive started ma-nufactirring that class ocf goods, and one manufactured by my firm has been adopted by the New Zealand Government, to replace the f K.ohiirooT.' Before . tbe watr the pencils for tihe Edwcacrkm ' Depannent were ordered from onr London manufactory •vrihich turns out about 3.000 gross of pencils per week. One thing which surprises mc is tho* the New Zealand Government, which advocate's free education, taxes the lead pencils used by the children. The present tariff is 25 per cent ad valorem, which, of course, is added to the east -retail. Such a tariff is not imposed in Australia, and the children there get 'their school penoWs cheaper than is possible to the scholars of trtrc Dominion. Owing to the increase in trade the Eagle Company has decided to open an office for New Zealand in Auckland, in addition to the one opened a year ago in Australia.