Trade, Alter the War.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15931, 19 June 1917, Page 6

Trade, Alter the War.

The movement in manufacturing circles at Home, to foster, as the cable message put it, "the scientific distribution of British manufactures in " oversea markets," is long overdue. The defect in the conduct of the British export trade which the proposed federation of manufacturers is to correct, is no new development. It has characterised the oversea operations of British firms for more years than one cares to remember, and has been the despair of every colonial importer who patriotically has tried to support British trade. Not yet have British, manufacturers learned that the "Take it or " leave it" style which they have practised so long is not good for business, even though Germany is out of the running for trade just now. A case has just been brought under our notice by a correspondent which emphasises the need for more common sense, as well as more scientific distribution of British goods abroad. Our correspondent sent to England for two carburettors, a 15 and a 25. "One ar- " rived recently. Had it come from " America or Germany it would have "been packed in a wooden box large "enough to hold a wealth of printed " matter, price lists, description of " working principles, testimonials, re- " ports of trials, contests, races, and " full instructions as to installation and "working adjustments. Being Eng- " lish it arrived in "brown paper with- " out v. word of print or writing. Nor "is there anything to show whether "it is a 15 or a 25." In England, it appears, this carburettor is sold only or. a guarantee that it shall bo installed " strictly in accordance with the " maker's instructions" —but to the New Zealand customer the maker sends no instructions at all. The result is' that the local garages in our correspondent's town are warning motorists of his experience, and he is left with what he calls "a piece of useless junk" on his hands. ""What matter P" he comments, "It is paid for." All this and more is contained in a letter sent by our correspondent to the English trado journal, the "Motor," to which ho drew the attention of the firm concerned, it is hardly necessary to say, without any result. And he declares that this is quite a normal experience. " I have imported cars and parts, guns, '' camcrss, oil engines, petrol, gas "plant, etc.. in every case the same " experience—a good article, but I " havo to put it into working order." Will Germany behave like that after the war? he asks. Being a patriotic Briton, with two 6ons somewhere in France, he will naturally not do any business with Germans, but, as he says, is it decent for English firms to trade upon his feelings in that respcct?

This is a case typical probablv of hundreds of others, of which New Zealanders could tell, and "we are glad to notice that tho "Motor" spoke very plainly on the subject. Its correspondent's experience, it declared, confirmed the opinion it had often expressed. that some British manufacturers had not grasped tho rudiments of supplying oversea markets. "Is it '' to bo wondered at," it ask 6, "that "wo view with the gravest concern " tho future of British trado with over- " sea customers when the intensified. "aftcr-waT struggle commences?" The temptation, as tho "Motor" recognises, before a man 'who has been treated in the fashion we havo described, is to place future orders with traders of other countries, who would treat his requirements seriously. All the efforts of Trade Commissioners, added to tho work of tho Commercial Intelligence Department of tho Board

of Trade at Home, can do nothing to help British traders who show so little commercial intelligence of their own. The new federation has a big task before it.