Grey RIver Argus. and Blackball News

Grey River Argus, 30 December 1914, Page 4

Grey Rlver Argus. and Blackball News

D3livHiM d every moritins m Greyasouth. Kunsava, Hokiiika, Dobsoit, Wallsend, Taylor, viJlo, Bronaerton, Stillwaier. Ngahere, Blackball, Nelson Creek, Ahanra, Ikamatna, Waiuta, Keefian, Cronodnu, ftunauga, Dunollie, Cobden, Baxtoi's, Kokiri, Patara, Kainiata, AratiSa, Eotuku, Moaua, Eura, Te Kinga, Botomanu 1 Poerua, I bozmia, Jaok-sons and Otitaj

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1914

In all the talk about Avar on German trade— much of it is very nebulous — we hear nothing whatever about the constitution of the "expeditionary force" that is to carry the war into the markets ofthe world. About that of the German legions who have during the past twenty years captured so many positions of great tactical value in commerce we have bad an opportunity of learning a great deal, both from observation of our own markets and i!ro:>i numerous reports from agents in varioits parts of the world. These active scouts of German commerce are well-equip-ped by sound training at headquarters, men of the world mostly, often with two or three lan r guages at their command, and we' do not wonder that large export returns are the result. How do the tactics of the British manufacturers compare with this direct method of effecting and maintaining- contact with the outside markets? It is well known that the British manufacturers entrust the conduct of their aggressive operations in foreign parts to a heterogeneous army of alien hirelings in the form of agents, concessionaires or commissionaires. A very small percentage of British' manufacturers trading on the Continent, for example,' are represented even in the niosi important markets by emissaries issuing directly from headquarters. Now the lack of these points of direct contact is fatally felt whenever thero is any disturbance of trade fro.Mi any cause whatever. With so many intermediaries the chances of a break in the chain of connection are dangerously niulti, plied, and dislocation and loss of trade inevitably ensue, and the manufacturer -is thus left in a peculiarly helpless condition. Where an agent is employed who holds more than one representa x lion he naturally wor'es hardest for those firms who allow him the largest commission or who offer the most elastic terms of. trading." Herein our German rival* iuiv.e scored heavily over the conservatively rigid methods of our people. If the manufactui'er's business is transacted through ;i commission house or wholesale dealers he is still further exposed to attacks from foreign competitors, especially so when he neglects — as ! he usually does — to make any personal study of the conditions and connections in the foreign field. The wholesaler cares not one jot about the source of the goods he handles, and will quite indifferently throw over an English manufacturer for a foreign one whose goods yield a better profit ( — and who shall blame him? " Now against this indifferent way of doing things we have copious evidence of the thoroughness of Gorman organisation in maintaining direct and effective contact with the fields in which they are operating. The British consular reports from all parts of the world have harped on this point Avith futile iteration. These are apparently not read, or, if read, not digested, and the British manufacturer sticks consistently to his policy of "muddling through." AYe do not for a moment question, the fact that this very policy has its strong points, but we do insist that all competent observers are at one in urging on our manufacturers the supreme importance 7 of getting into much more intimate touch with their outside markets, of studying local requirements more closely, and of meeting local views with more consideration. To

do this effectively there can be no question that direct representation is 'the first desideratum : indeed, unless the British manufacturer wakes up to this fact, he need not hope tow age successful Avar on German trade. To sit comfortably at his base, however strongly entrenched, whilst his rival pushes forward and occupies all the positions of strategical importance will not bring him that success that his merits as a manufacturer deserve. How completely he neglects this side of the question may be judged from the lack of inquiry for men to form this "expeditionary force." Now that the opportunity of catching up to some extent with our commercial rivals has — thanks to them — been offered to us, it is to be hoped that this aspect of the case may be seriously considered. The German ideals of trade are minimum profits and maximum wages. The British manufacturer for the sake of large profits was content to employ as his agents cheap foreign agents, and we can hardly wonder that Germany was able to aim such a blow at our trade. The people of Britain now realise what they are up again, and we trust that they will profit from past experience and prevent the like happening again.

The New Big Eiver gold returns for seven weeks crushing during November and December is as follows: Battery. 700 tons crushed for 949 ozs 12 dwts melted gold, cyanide 173 ozs 11 dwts bullion. Total estimated value £3000.

On Christmas Eve Detective Torrenee arrested a man on warrant, at Christ-church for failing to maintain his wife and children and for the theft of jewellery and gold specimens on the West Coast. The warrant was issued early last week.

When the newspapers got to work recently in San Francisco " boosting* •» relief movement for tho starving J3«ligans, £20,000 was raised in an hjur, and in a few days a relief ship headed for Great Britain loaded to the plimsoll with a collection of Californian foodstuffs.

So, even now, there are groups of English" people no more personally affested by thife devastating war than by a bank smash in, let us say, Siberia, and they won't genuinely be until a bomb uproots the very cabbages in their back gardens. — A lady correspondent of the "Lyttelton Times" .writing from London.

Where well dressed men congregate, there Smith's Ltd's Suits predominate Men are always sure of securing a smart tailor-made suit at C. Smithis Ltd. ' Their advertisement in to-day's paper quotes prices for summer suits

At Wellington on Friday night De-tective-Sergeant Rawle and Detective Lewis arrested a man on a charge if petty theft, and afterwards traced to his possession and recovered a quantify of boots, bags, ladies' wearing appar.i, etc., to tag. total value of £11 &s, -alleged (says the Dominion) to Have b-3eii stolen from boats on which he ha' worked.

The adoption of the proportional representation system is now optional with Borough Councils in respect to all general elections of councillors. The wisdom or otherwisce of applying the principle to election in "West-port vus debated at a special meeting of the Council, Or. McDonald proposed ani fr. F»,rker seconded the making of a special order to achieve the object, but they were the only supporters of the step and the motion was lost.

On Friday night in. Bid-will- street, Wellington, a lady while proceeding home in company with her little girl, was violently attacked by a man, who snatched her purse and tore a bangle from her wrist. She screamed out for help, and her husband heard the call and rushed out, only to find that the man had disappeared in the darkness towards 'the Nairn Street plantation. Both the lady and her daughter were knocked about and suffered a good deal from shock.

"It is not the intention of the Government to impose a war-tax during the currency of the war to meet the extra expenditure entailed by our assistance to the Empire, ' '' replied the Prime Minister to an enquiry by a Wellington Post representative. "It is not deemed desirable to do this while tl>e war is -m, as trade and- commerce and industry must be given every opportunity to operate free from hindrance and : .„ extra burden. When the war is < ver additional taxation will bo necessary to meet the interest/ on tha money-bor-rowed for war purposes — loans which have been obtained, as I have stated publicly, at a very reasonable *»te."

The Greymouth Jockey Club insert a notice in this issue that no passes will be issued for their meeting, to be held on Thursday and Friday next, after 9 p.m. this Wednesday, 30th inst.

The Greymouth Drapers' Association advertise their New Year holidays in smother columns. The general public und visitors are asked to note the times of closing their premises from Thursday, December 31st to January 6th, 1915. The advertisement will be found in another column.

At the Greymoufch Jockey Club's summer meeting hot luncheon will be provided at any hour during the afternoon by -the Ladies' Committee, who have the matter of catering in hand, in order to raise funds for the Belgian Relief Fund. The luncheon will be served in rooms other than those used for tea rooms, the latter also being in the hands of the Ladies' Committee with a view of assisting distressed Belgians.

A Wellington correspondent states that tho Prime Minister informed a reporter on Wednesday last that the Government had completed negotiations for the purchase of the well-known "Glenmark" estate in North Canterbury. This estate, consisting of 11,500 acres, is all close to the railway, is very easy to road, and is particularly suitable for close settlement and for agriculture. The property was held by the trustees of the late Mrs. Townsend.

Cases of shoplifting have recently been discovered in many large Auckland retail establishments, particularly those devoted to drapery, and retailers sire taking steps to protect themselves from this class of crime. One drapery establishment is employing three private detectives; in another shop there. nTe two men always on watch for lightfingered people. Leniency in the past has, says a northern exchange, probably led to an increase in the number of cases of shoplifting, and retailers have now. agreed amongst themselves that prosecutions will follow in all cases of shop-lifting reported to them, irrespective of the station of life of the detected persons, and with no distinctions between kleptomania and theft.

Mothers are beginning- to recognise that it is time their children should be supplied wittt straw hats. There are many inexpensive yet tasteful styles in straw hats for children at C. Smith's Ltd., which you should make a. point of seeing- to-day.

Here we have wasted three hours over a ease of manifest simplicity," said Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., in the Auckland Police Court on Friday, with reference to a casp in which E. W. Alison, junr., was summoned for leaving a ferryboat whilst it was still in motion. The defence was a denial that the vessel was still in motion when the defendant stepped from it on to the wharf. In convicting the defendant, his Worship asid that it was reasonable to interpret the words "a vessel being in motion" as meaning ''until properly moored." "The only man in a position to know when the vessel is properly moored is the captain," continued his Worship, "and he indicates when such a time has arrived by giving the signal to have the gangway lowered. As the defendant left the

vessel before the gangway r as lowered, he must be convicted. I should like to fine him in proportion to the amount of the Court's time he has wasted," concluded his Worship in imposing a* l-enalty of a 10s fine and 17s (5d costs.

M. Georges Berthoulat, in an article iv the Liberte, gives an account of a visit he paid to one of the camps of wounded behind the centre of the French firing line. The army corps whose base he was visiting has two chaplains — :a Catholic priest and a Jewish Babbi. They seemed to be very good friends as well as the best»of fellows. One evening they were kept on the battlefield looking after some wounded, and found it impossible to get back to the lines. After looking round, they found an abandoned farm with a single ragged pallet. Here they spent the night side by side; and, as they went off to sleep, the priest remarked to the Rabbi: "If there* were only a photographer here! — the Old and the Now Testament as bed-fellows."

The London correspondent of the Manchester Guardian makes the interesting statement that for the first time for over half a century there will be no University boat race next year, both Oxford and Cambridge having decided that all racing shall be postponed until after the war. The South African war did , not interfere with the race, but there are so few racing men at either Univeristy now that it would be impossible to get a representative crew. This will be the first occasion, the COTrespondent adds, since the race became an annual one in 1856 that there has l.een no contest. The first boat race between the Universities was in 1829, and the second seven years later.

In view of recent happenings in Australia an incident recorded in connection with an attempt to make trouble at a biscuit factory in England which was working night and day on an Army contract is worthy of mention. Labour agitators apparently objected to the men in the factory working overtime, and -demanded that it should cease. Earl Kitchener, it is reported, sent for these worthies, when the following dialogue ensued: — Kitchener: "You know this country is at war?" The agitators: "Yes." Kitchener: "Very well. If any oaa of you again interferes I will have you shot." Exit Labour agitators. "Clearly," writes a correspondent, "we have 'one strong man in a blatant land.' "

Many people who have relatives and friends amongst the New Zealand force in Egypt will be interested in the statement that the atmosphere in +he Land of the Paraohs is exceedingly clear and dry, the temperature regular and exceedingly hot, though rhs heat is tempered during the daytime for nine months in the year by the strong wind which blows from the north, and tvliich enables vessels to ascend the RiveT Nile against the stream. The winter months are the most delightful [.art of the year, the air being cool and balmy, and the ground covered with verlure. 111 the middle of the year, esp sA «.Uy in May, the ground becomes parohrd and dry, and the suffocating simeon begins to blow into the valley from the d >sei*t plains upon either side of it.

A sleeping-car of new design for use on the North Island Main Trunk line has just been built iv the Petone shops. It is of the same size over all as ~the ordinary express coach for the New Zealand railways, but a saving in space usually taken up by the end platforms. The carriage will have to be entered always from the platform of an adjoining one. This has made possible greater comfort in the accommodation for passengers. Instead of'f our fourberth and two two-berth cabins, this car has five two-berth and two fourberth cabins, and the two-berth cabins, which in the old-style coach are too narrow to allow full-grown persons to take easy postures when sitting up in the daytime, are quite a foot wider and of a very comfortable size. The carriage is lit throughout by electric light, for which the current is supplied from a dynamo driven from' an a'zle of one of the bogies, and storage batteries will suffice to keep the carriage lighted for 50 or 60 hours after the dynamo stops, if necessary. Several other minor improvements make generally for greater comfort . or great cleanliness, where such improvements were most desirable.

"Kliptiko" the finest building- gafrie for boys yet invented, models of bridges, cranes, pontoons, , trucks, and a hundred, and one things may be made with this game- The price is 2s large size 3s 6d each. Procurable at B. Dixon's, Tainui St. — Advt.

Mr. Primrose M'Connell, in an article in the Journal of Agriculture on the farmer and his methods, remarks: — "Taking general farming ability into consideration, the best of the British farmers undoubtedly stand head and shoulders above all others, and in livestock breeding in particular they are the experts of experts. The true British farmer is the product of many generations of practical experience and keen observation.- ... It is the general opinion that the British farmer works with out-of-date 1 implements, and in some districts such is the case; but on the average farm of the best class the most up-to-date machinery may be seen. As a matter of fact, implements are now being introduced to New Zealand which were in use in mnay paTts of North Britain twenty or thirty years ago. It should be remembered that an implement which suits the conditions of one country may be entirely unsuited to another."

Dredging returns are reported for last week as follows: Eed Jacks, S5 ozs; Worksop, 72 ozs.; Slab Hut Creek, 35 ozs. Bdwts.

The Success Dredge washed up on Thursday last for a Teturn of 40 ozs. 8 dwts. for the week.

The Mayor of Hokitika (Mr. G. A. Perry) received tho following cable on Sunday evening from Cairo; — "Hokitika hoya in Egypt send heartiest New Year greetings to all. Enjoyed good Christmas dinner from funds subscribed. Love to .all the girls. All well in enmp — (Sgd.)— Norman Shepherd. ' '

We offer two special lines in Summer dress goods, at our Flood Sale, namely Japanese Crepes at 2s ud, the dress uprice in seven colours and our new Brocadero Cloth 3s 4d the dress piece, guaranteed fast dye. Both these lines are thoroughly fast, and will give entire satisfaction. — WALKER'S, Boundary Street. .—Advt.