BRITISH TRADE FAIR

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 107, 6 May 1916, Page 9

BRITISH TRADE FAIR

AN ANNUAL FIXTURE

A LEAP FROM A GERMAN BOOK,

For so many years had Britain and the overseas Dominions leaned on Germany in great part for their supply of toys, fancy goods, dolls, picture postcards, glassware, and the cheaper kinds of chinaware and cutlery, that when the war.came consternation prevailed among traders as to whence future supplies,of such goods should come. British manufacturers were still engaged upon their manufacture, but not to the same great extent, i.e., the cheap and very cheap lines, and in some directions cheap German competition had well-nigh extinguished some British manufactures. But, the German once out of the way, it was found that our own people could make such things—make them as well -and better, pay higher wages, and give better working conditions; also could furnish any number of new designs, notions, patterns, ideas. " ■■ ■

i The great annual Fair at Leipzic was the meeting-place of buyer and manufacturer. The German organised rather better than the British did. He did not start out with his samples, and hawk them from warehouse to warehouse. He assembled them all at a given date at Leipzic, invited buyers to see them, booked his brders there and then, and went on with the manufacture from the samples selected. This was the German organised way—a better way than the English individual way ; but it has now been adopted by the British, for the President of the Board ,of " Trade has said:—"lt is the present intention of tho Board of Trade to hold a British Industries Pair in the early spring of each year."

The second of such fairs has just been held in London, and Mr. Dalton, British Trade Commissioner in New Zealand, has just received information about it by mail. From him a representative of The Post learns that the Fair (exclusive of exhibitors and their personnel) attendance was 26,000. It was not a show for the general public, but a business fair,, an exposition by manufacturers of their wares to the buyers of the whole world.

The number of manufacturers exhibiting in the various sections of the Fair was as follows:—Printing and stationery, 80; earthenware, china and glass, 82; fancy goods, 81; and toys and games, 107.

The method which was so successfully adopted last year in» issuing invitations to wholesale dealers, shippers, and other buyers and dealers in the United Kingdom, British possessions, and foreign countries was likewise pursued this year.

STUDYING THE BUYER.

The inclusion in the Fail- of a, commercial intelligence branch stand proved of great assistance alike to manufacturers and buyers. Enquiries in large number were attended to. Manufacturers who desired particulars relating to the sources of supply of raw material, Customs duties, commercial travellers' regulations, trade marks, statistics, and miscellaneous matters havo this year again greatly appreciated the advantage of being able to obtain information at a stand where competent officials were in attendance equipped with data of a comprehensive character. Buyers, too, readily availed themselves of the opportunity of, obtaining information concerning the names of manufacturers other than those actually on exhibition.

The samples of British fancy printing and stationery, of which trade Germany and Austria had obtained so large a. hold, were equal where not superior to the''German goods. The British printing on metal used for chocolate boxes, tea caddies, soap boxes, and other goods previously supplied to Britain so extensively by Germany, was much admired, and quite good business was done in these articles, and relations were entered into with overseas buyers which it is anticipated will lead to an .extension of the export trade. Excellent work appears'to have been carried out by paper-makers and stationers since the last Fair. The Germans had obtained the ascendency in the coloured postcard business, and it was therefore exceedingly satisfactory to observe in the Fair splendid specimens of coloured postcards, Christmas cards, and calendars. GLASSWARE AND DOLLS. In the pottery and glass ■ section consistent progress has been made since the last Fair. Notwithstanding the many difficulties of labour, cost of raw material, etc., many firms exhibited no small enterprise and courage in turning their attention to those branches of the glass industry which were almost an enemy monopoly. Laboratory glassware and the like ..require immense care and skill to mannfaoture, so that it is exceedbigly interesting and satisfactory from a national point of view to have been able to see the splendid specimens of laboratory glassware.. In dolls and toys, a trade the Germans had practically monopolised, the British manfacturer. showed that he could well hold his own. and. excel, meeting British and foreign tastes - and prices. The exhibits of inkstands, cigarette trays, calendar blocks, dressing case fittings, and the like, were in many cases excellent, and probably formed one of the most encouraging features of the Fair, for the reason that these .articles | were formerly exported in immense quantities from Germany. . LARGE BUSINESS DONE. It i3 generally admitted that the Fair has been a pronounced success. It is impossible to state even approximately the amount of business done, but it is safs to say that orders in large volume have been placed at many stands. Not a few manufacturers had to decline to accept further orders after the first few days, whilst many exhibitors will bo compelled to take on further hands in order to cope with the orders for delivery during the next autumn..

Perhaps, however, the most prominent and most encouraging ieaturt. in the Fair was the evidence of the immense skill and ingenuity which have been displayed by British manufacturers in introducing novelties during I'jo past 18 months. Even these relatively few branches of industry have revealed the remarkable inventiveness of the British worker, and if, as may be assumed, the Fair exhibits one particular aspect of what is going on in a general way, it sliows that industrial conservatism and lethargy are rapidly vanishing.