CROCKERY AND GLASSWARE.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20915, 24 July 1933, Page 10

CROCKERY AND GLASSWARE.

IMPORTS FROM JAPAN.

REPRESENTATIONS FOR SPECIFIC DUTIES.

(FKESS ASSOCIATION TELZGII-VM.) WELLINGTON, July 22. Further representations for specific duties against Japanese goods were made by McDuffs, Ltd., before the Tariff Commission to-day. The Comptroller of Customs (Dr. G. Craig) presided. and associated with him were Professor B. E. Murphy and Messrs J. B. Gow and G. A. Pascoe. The firm submitted a list of specific duties which bring the landed costs of foreign crockery and glassware up to that of the landed costs of British products. Mr W. T. Richards, representing McDuffs, Ltd., said that he was not approaching the commission as an interested party. They made their profit irrespective of the origin of the importations. It did not matter from a business point of view whether the crockery they sold came from Britain, Germany, or Japan, but they desired to foster trade with the United Kingdom, and the representations they were making were for the purpose of placing British goods on an equal basis of landing costs with foreign goods. At the present time foreign competition was having a disastrous effect on British trade in crockery and glassware. Mr Richards produced samples of competing English and Japanese crockery and glassware, and gave details of the comparative costs. For instance, a line of cups which cost 9d a dozen at the factory in Japan could rot be purchased at less than 2s 9d a dozen at the English works.

No Trade Mark. Professor Murphy: Is there any trade mark to show that they are Japanese goods? Mr Richards: No. The importers ask that there be no indication showing that they are Japanese goods. They ask only that English goods be marked. Professor Murphy: So you can say that the Japanese are forced to attempt to deceive the buyer? Mr Richards: Yes. Professor Murphy: That is Important. Mr Richards: Of course they deliberately try to copy English patterns. Professor Murphy: Would you say that this stuff is rubbish? Mr Richards: It would be called rubbish in the trade. Professor Murphy: Is it rubbish? Mr Richards: Yes, in some cases. It does not give the same wear as English crockery. Mr Pascoe: Is there not one danger point—the quality is improving? Mr Richards: Yes, importers ask them to copy English sets. Do I understand that they are invited to do this by importers of British nationality? Sydney Request. Mr Richards: I have found it diffi- • * , , ® et , inf ormation on the subject but I have been told that a firm in Sydney asks them to do this Witness said that he had seen a S of samples of Japanese had been copies of .English lines. Professor Murphy: Our people have lines? thGm t0 pirate British Mr Richards: "Yes, it is done by firms not interested in British trade. Witness said that none of the decorations on the samples he had subdesigns %, d .' r l ct copy of British designs. The British manufacturer had I? to Sreat expense to make the h obtain the decorative degn xt was easy for the Japanese L a K COpy °1 ce the finished article had been made. Mr Gow: The Birmingham people Thpv u COpying de signs for years. ship W1 even Ina ke idols for worTw° feSS °u Mur Phy: That is true. They will make altar rails for Italian churches and idols for negroes in £ S ° long 35 there is a Profit Effect on Britain. Mr Richards said that the transfer of New Zealand's crockery-buying Bn'tkh to Japan meant t£L J° r^ s , WQuld be plac ed on the dole. While on the dole, they would buy margarine instead of but!f r 'ot- ?i United Kingdom was 2' j only marke t for New Zealand s produce, it was in the ine^inl" S V le Domin i°n to stimulate employment m the Mother Country and enable her people to buy New n+tfir S - bu " er > a PPles, honey, and other products. Because of the fall-ing-off in English imports a number ? s coming out to New Zealand in ballast, and this was a form of economic waste. A greater measure of trade with the United Kingdom would help the shipping posifre"ghts S dOWn the cost of In answer to Dr. Craig the wit ness stated that if the prices were crocken' 6 l"™ Uld uy En S lish in the feces' wMch w™ SLIP'S Japan. "Our staff hate iSdliiS Japanese goods/' he said. S

Buildin;; Material. eaing Company, Ltd., S ?^ m a " i eduction or the duties on high tensile spot-weld fabric. This fabric was fU , lm P° r tance in building for that ?t U hp e ni eSlS^ ance ' and he asked that it be placed on the same level fabrics ThV? 6 much J ess effective iabncs Thu company had a branch •7 f LUS j r^ lia - from which the New Zealand importations were obtained Slly bv P Fnpr W h S be -? g run substan--11 any by English capitaL At thp nra sent time the inferior fabric was ad" b »'.^wew s ,at iic oi d-l6th of an inch and more was subject to a tariff of 20 per cent.