C.O.D.

Evening Star, Issue 19891, 13 June 1928, Page 9

C.O.D.

TO THE EDITOB.

Sir, —Your correspondents’ replies to my letter are adopting a very personal tone, and I leave it, to your readers to find the reason. “T.M.’’ infers that because 1 do not, mention that I was one of those who joined in the “ great aid venture ” (the Great War) I was a Hav-at-homo. I. sold up my home in 1915 and saw active service—and real active service at that—in France, Mesopotamia, and Russia. Ido not choose, lo disclose my identity to Mr Thomson. Both your correspondents are apparently under the impression that I am opposed to New Zealand manufacturing, this is not correct. In my own little way 1 am doing, and always have done, everything I possibly can to assist New Zealand manufacturers within reason, and the many thousands of residents who purchase under the above system, 1 ieol quite sure, have the same ideas. I know for a fact, because .1 have spent many months investigating the whole position, residents buy goods from Britain C.O.D. that are not manufactured here, mostly in Irish linens, Manchester cotton goods. Sheffield cutlery. British silks, etc. 1 certainly admit that they liny wool, which probably in tlie first place comes from New Zealand, hut ean you blame them, when they can purchase a pound of 4-ply fingering wool for as? Surely you don ( suggest that the New Zealand public are well enough off to pay 35s a pound! Certainly plenty of them are. hut the fact, remains that they strongly object to being ‘‘stung.”

Since the war the manufacturers have found that the old warehouse system of pre-war days is fast drifting out of fashion on account of the cost, but mainly on account of foreign competition. Far better to buy onr goods C.O.D. from Britain than buy foreign goods locally, f maintain that our woollen mills could easily double their output, especially in nigs. New* Zealand rugs are the finest produced in the world—so much so that the best quality brings £l6 in New York. If the prices were lowered considerably the sales would double, and so would the number of employees: but this is not allowed. The whole effect of trade in New Zealand is to keep up high prices. 1 wonder if your readers know that the great shipping firm of Burns, Rhilp, Ltd., of Sydney, proposes opening a chain of stores throughout New Zealand and spending close on a million pounds in the process. Hundreds of manufacturers all over the world are selling their goods straight to the public, _ thereby lowering their coat. New business methods that have spread all over America and Britain—vim, the chain store systems, with their own manufacturing plants—will come to New Zealand sooner or later. Every lecturer on economics can tell you that if an article cost £6 to make, it takes another £0 to sell it. But why should it? The total purchases from British houses last year were £70,000, and 1 am quite certain that the people who spent that amount of money put at least £30,000 into their own pockets, and they will continue to do so as long as the very extraordinary difference in prices rules.—l am, etc., June 13, XiißJDwre.