TRADE TOPICS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15669, 6 June 1916, Page 9

TRADE TOPICS.

RICHES OF ASllttilCAN BANKS! 0 (FEOJI OTTIt OWN* CORBESrONIJEKT.) LONDON, April 21. America has become exceedingly' prosperous as a result of tho war, and tho total resources of the United States banks are placed at the enormous figure of £2,767,600,000. This is £454,200,000 higher than tho returns for a year ago. Tho aggregato resources of tho National Banks of tho United States at this, time exceed by approximately £600,000,000, the aggregato resources of tho Bank of England, the Bank of France, the Bank of Russia, the Reiclisbank. the Bank of the Netherlands, the Swiss National Bank, and tho Bank of Japan. Tho total deposits on March 7th amounted to £2,158,000,000. The increase since December 31st, 1915, is £80,200,000. GERMANY'S TRADE PLANS. Westphalia, Saxony, and Bavaria aro forming manufacturers' associations to tako common action in the proposed German dump directly peace comes. Makers of optical and surgical instruments, electrical machinery and machine tools aro all working together. _ In the campaign for economy factories and workshops aro being standardised, and where two shops formerly produced indiscriminately two classes of goods, one factory has now taken over one class and tbo other factory the other class. Sometimes machinery has been exchanged. The new war labour —mostly women, boys, and old men—has been trained on standardising principles. The Kaiser is keenlv interested in tho dump campaifni. When outside Verj dun he three times received deputations I of manufacturers. The Berlin readyi made clothing and underclothing manufacturers are preparing for a dumping campaign. West Russia is the proposed dumping ground for ready-made men's clothes. Hundreds of thousands of suits of a new surroga material are ready. THE MATCH TAX. Match manufacturer's. Treasury aud Custom officials have deliberated over the now tax, and the trade have agreed to work out the details of an arrange* nicnt which will bo suitable to everyone I except tho. consumer. Mr Bartholomew | (cf Messrs Bryant and May) stated I that the price of ordinary boxes of matches has now been fixed at three

boxes fo/ twopence retail, although some shopkeepers, he said, might cut the price to 7Jd per doz. Generally,! however, the cost will bo Sd a dozen. 1 "\Vo have," he added, "come to an agreement with the Treasury and Customs. Wo arc now busily engaged in fixing prices, and wo expect to resume sales and deliveries at the end of the week*. Swan vestas will still be one penny. We have fixed the pricc of ordinary matches at three boxes for twopcnce, because we arc afraid people will not buy a dozen at a time except as a luxury." ARMY UNIFORMS. Tho Secretary of tho War Office states that "it has been brought to notico that there afe a number of sec-ond-hand clothes dealers who expose regulation uniforms for sale. Such persons are warned that the sale to unauthorised persons of military uniform, or of uniform so nearly resembling tho same as to be calculatcd to deceive, renders them liable to prosecution under tho Defence of the Realm Regulations." Enquiries in the East End elicited the information that in almost every caso the purchasers of Army uniforms, or. portions of uniforms, were bona fide soldiers or intended recruits, though it does not appear tliafc* enquiries aro ever made in "this direction, or as to tho uses to which the articles are to bo applied. It has long beon a "matter of speculation as to the source of the East End supply. Tho only explanation is that tho articles represent condemned Army stores or the surplus output of local contractors. ' COPYING FROM KRUPPS. Tho authorities have authorised Messrs Edgar Allen and Co., of Sheffield. to manufacture copies of a specimen of Krupp machine of great value in tho making of high-speed steel for munition purposes. The specimen .is now in the Royal College of .Science at South Kensington, and there is a war history behind it. Immediately war broke out Krupp's agent in England applied to havo the machine removed from tho Museum, but the authorities would not let it go. Mr Ruslien, who appeared for Krupp's, at the Patents Court, .said that when war broke out -they wero preparing to havo tho machine manufactured in this country, and would havo received a royalty of 30 per cent. On the other hand, it was argued by Sir George C. Marks, M.P., who appeared for Edgar Allen and Co., that 5 per cent, was sufficient, and with that view the Comptroller agreed. Ho pointed out that the royalties paid would for tho present go to the Public Trustee, and the Government will decide at the end of tho war what is ,to happen to the money. A RAILWAY ECONOMY.

A sign of tbe times in England is the announcement by the London and North-Western Railway Company that after May Ist, all restaurant cars on that system will be discontinued. It is understood that the supervision of tlie dining-car for tlie period of the war has been under discussion for some time, and it is probable that other companies may follow the example set. regular service of dining-cars in _ this country was put on by the Great Northern Railway between London and Leeds in February, 1880, but it was not until nine years later that, the London and North-Western Railway provided this convenience, for first-class passengers, in certain trains between. London, Manchester. and Liverpool. The early dining saloons were only 33ft long. In 1893 dining accommodation for thirdclass passengers between Euston and Scotland was instituted on several trains, and this led in time to tho abolition of tho twenty minutes' stop at Preston. Last year thero were 543 luncheon cars in u- c e in the United Kingdom, of which the London and North-Western Railway alone—according- to the report for the last half-year—possessed 103 vehicles, -with seats for 1272 first-class and 1636 third-clas3 travellers. PAPER IMPORTS. The Swedish Government has placed an embargo on .the exportation of wood pulp to this country, but there are no restrictions against the importation into England of Swedish manufactured paper. A City expert regards this as a great injustice to the English papermaker. "The shortage of paper has demonstrated very clearly," no says i "that at the present time •we are almost entirely dependent on a foreign country for our raw material. _Wo have in Canada and Newfoundland rich, fertile lands capable of producing ample wood pulp for the Mother Country." ABOUT RUBBER. • History is silent as to the discoverer of rubber or as to when it was first used. In a lecture on "Our Tropical i Industries." at the Imperial Institute, ..Miss Edith Browne said that the white man found the South American wearing rubber shoes, playing with rubber balls, and using rubber pouches for tho protection of ins various treasures. It ■was not till well on in the nineteenth century that rubber gDOCs were made elsewhere than in Brazil. When the outlook seemed dark, two or three Englishmen were inspired .by the id pa that

the rubber tree could bo cultivated_ in our own possessions in the tropics. Seeds wore brought from Brazil to Jvew Gardens, and tho .seedlings were sent to Malaya, where extensive rubber plantations were now in cultivation. Tho British Empire was; now the largest rubber producer in the world. As a war contribution from tho colonies alone the .value of rubber could not be over-estimated. NO DRUGS FOR SOLDIERS. The recent prosecution for selling drugs to Canadian soldiers ' at Folkestone is apparently responsible for an addition to the Defence of tiio Realm Regulations, which reads: "Tho Admiralty or Army Council may by order prohibit, cither absolutely or except in compliance with such conditions as may bo specified in tho order, tho sale or supply to or for iiny member of any of nis Majesty's forces of any narcotic or stimulant drug, or preparation specified in the order, and'if any person acts in contravention of any such order ho shall be guilty of a summary offenc- against these .regulations." AIvGLO-RUSSIAN TRADE.

Tho general opinion in commercial circlcs in London is that as tho German trade domination -which had existed in Russia beforo the, war would not be permitted to . reassert- itself, Russia would make herself in future a solf-sup-porting country as much as possible. To that end she would requiro machinery and engineering appliances generally to enable lier to develop her great resources, and in this direction Britain could co-operate. It is pointed out that owing to tho limited railway facilities in gome districts, much of tno transport work has to be done by motor cars, for which there is a good market-. General imports, however, aro' subject to heavy taxation, and British manufacturers, it is urged, should emulate the German example of establishing branch factories in Russia, and thereby secure the trade while escaping tho duties./ It is also urged that much might be done after tho war by means of reciprocal tariffs between England and Russia, but if the successful development of Anglo-Russian trade is to be ensured, it must be essayed at once by private firms, .acting singly or in co-operation without waiting for Government initiative. PRICE OF BEER. The retail price of bottled ales and stouts has been raised, 4Jd, instead of 4d, being charged for a "small Bass" with a similar increase on other high grade beers in bottle. Beyond this no action has yet been taken by. tho. licensed trado generally, but -it is stated on tho best authority that, in view of the increased chargo of 16s a barrel on high grade draught beers, it will unquestionably be necessary to incrcaso the retail price from 24d to 3d per halfpint. As regards what used to bo known as "four ale," and other cheaper beers, the solution is not so simple. The increase, of 6s and upwards announced in tho wholesale prices is not sufficient to justify' a carge of 2d pel half-pint in place of ljd, and tho addition of a farthing would lead to enormous trouble and inconvenience. The difficulty may perhaps be met by supplying a lower grade of beer, and leaving tne price unchanged. Tho outlook for the trade is declared to be gloomy. POPULARITY OF LIQUEURS. Removal of tho embargo on French liqueurs lias caused satisfaction among the spirit trade, and is regarded as an acfc of consideration to our Allies. Whether a liqueur is a luxury or' a necins-viit-y depends upon tho view taken by i those who favour them, and the majority stato they take them purely for their digestive properties. As to the demand, the imports for the year 1914 of liqueurs, cordials, etc., totalled £1,789,758. Difficulties of transport, insurance and high freight rates have combined to send tho price up, and tho prohibition of tho 27th March, tended to still further increases in price, but it was stated by the trade that the demand has not diminished. Holland gin is still prohibited. Stocks of French brandies and liqueurs appear to have been la'id down in this country to meet eventualities, but so much has the demand increased for the latter, that the possiblity was arising of stocks being exhausted. A firm supplying leading restaurants and clubs in London stated that the growing demand for liqueurs was due to their increasing popularity with ladies. Creme de menthe was regarded as a necessary addition to lunch, and from that they ] had, in considerable numbers, passed on jto Benedictine. In the majority of cases where a lady lunched or ained with a gentleman she had creme de menthe or Benedictine, and he had a liqueur brandy.