PREFERENCE TO BRITISH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 97, 26 April 1930, Page 17

PREFERENCE TO BRITISH.

EVEN AT EXTRA COST. ; < POWER BOARD'S DECISION".. '! | (By Telegraph.—-Offn Correspondent.) QISBOKKE,. this • day. The practice reauiring local bodies to give preference to Empire products, even at extra cost, was condemned by Mr. Pred. R. Ball, chairman of the Poverty Bay Power Board, when the board was discussing tenders for clock switches to-day. The board had several tenders before it, and the engineer intimated that a switch of Swiss manufacture would suit the board's requirements as well as another of British manufacture. The difference in the cost of the order favoured the foreign article by £56 irv a total of £304. A majority of the board favoured keepin? the order within ,tlie Empire. Mr. Ball held that private people did lot practise Empire preference when they were able to purchase satisfactorily in cheaper foreign market, arid the board should not throw away the ratepayers' money by refusing to take advantage of a hotter offer for Swiss switches. He suggested that if foreign tenders were not to he considered on price it would h<f better to confine the -tendering to British firms. • - Mr. Thos. Corson supported the chairbut they were in a minority, ana the order went to the British traders.