BRITISH RADIO GOODS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 138, 12 June 1926, Page 8

BRITISH RADIO GOODS.

BEING DRIVEN OFF MARKET, AMERICA GETS THE BUSINESS THE WHY AND THE WHEREFORE. lliy Telegraph.—Special to "Star") ' WELUXGTOX, this day. Despite the 10 per cent preference given 10 radio goods imported from the United Kingdom, it would seem apparent that British manufacturers are being driven rrom the local market Iv an interview to-day, the manager of one. of Wellington's biggest electrical importing firms stated that, though they represented big British firms they could not sell British goods, and that all in their possession had had to be sacrificed.

"Conditions are different in England and in Xew Zealand." lie said. "In England there are very big broadcasting stations, and they are seldom far from a receiver. They are never 400 miles away. British manufacturers mostly make crystal sets, which suit their market, but do not suit ours. At present the crystal set is practically useless here, though when new stations at Auckland and Christchurch are completed, they will lie of value. New Zealand has been suffering- from very crude broadcasting, and many places 'in th c country cannot get Wellington station at all. Palmerston Xorth, for instance, has failed to pick it up." To-day. he continued, people wish to listen to Australia, for which they must have five-valve sets, which the British generally do not make. Americans, on the other hand, are able to supply these sets, and they have created a standard socket, and it is very hard to get anything else. A good number of people who always seek to buy British goods have been very disappointed in the sets which they have obtained, thou.h some of them choose them in England.

Another supplier with wide experience in British manufactured appliances said that radio in New Zealand was in a very disappointing position. It had been very hard to get any satisfaction concerning the Auckland station, and finally the Wellington dealer* had formed an association of their own to take concerted action. Originally the completion of the station had heen promised for the end of January, hut it was still unfinished. Now it wa» believed that the masts -were going up and that the installation of the plant might take place fairly soon, but it seemed very doubtful whether the station would be ready by the middle of next month, as was promised. The plant for Christehtireh and Dunedin stations also was reported to be on the wa v.

When broadcasting in Britain had commenced, he continued, there had been a regulation that no receiver might interfere with another. This regulation had aimed at the prevention of listenersin from employing direct reaction coupling on an aerial, but after a time this regulation had been cancelled and manufacturers had included coupling ill their newer sets. They had had to do so in order to compete with the home-made set. This coupling did not comply with the New Zealand regulations, which had adopted the principle which Britain had abandoned.

"Inspectors, or no ins-peetors. receivers will continue to aim at greater distance." said one expert, in discussing the matter. But a big reason for the way in which American goods wer» driving out the British, he considered, was the American system of discounts, which were sometimes three times as great as those of the Motherland manufacturers. Some American valves could lie sold 5/ cheaper than British valves, and still return a much better profit.