TRADE WITH GERMANY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 7 January 1925, Page 4

TRADE WITH GERMANY

TOYS AND FANCY GOODS. LARGE INCREASES. The question whether , the Dominion shall trade with Germany has been very positively answered as far as fancy goods are concerned, without any asking, by the exporting through England per medium of indent agents here of immense quantities of those goods in the manufacture of which Germany stood supreme, -. both as regards finish and pri-ce. The experience of local business firms who make a specialty of tliese classes of goods has been that for the past two years the amount of German fancy stulf available has been increasing, and that last year indent agents brought out complete ranges of samples of all kinds of fancy goods from Germany, showing that. German manufacturers were out to secure the position they previously held. ■ Two local business men both affirmeji, in conversation with a Star representative, that when Germany was out of business no other country filled her place, although England, France, and Japan took up the business. France was the most successful, but her goods could not look at the German for price. ’ “Look at these dolls, for instance,” said one business man, and he laid out for comparison samples of the manufacture of the two countries. Certainly the German was superior in every way, and the price was little more than half. He went on to explain that the method in Germany was largely home industry, the people doing the work in their leisure time. The parts of the doll or other toy were made a specialty by different people, each of whom was given a large order of that particular section. These were all collected by a- special agent and assembled in the factory. This will serve to explain almost exactly the reason for the low prices. - Another specialty in German goods is the mechanical toy, of which there are so many- on the market. No one can touch the German in {this class of goods. These also are made in sections and assembled. Another business man said frankly : “German goods are coming, and will ultimately he in larger quantity than ever. Indent agents arrived last year with wonderful ranges of samples, and it may surprise you to know, as it did myself, that two big cases reached me unopened direct from Germany.” This opinion was endorsed by other business men, proving conclusively that business with Germany has definitely been resumed in these lines and, as they are all agreed, will continue to. increase each year. “After all,” concluded one man who- does a very large business in fancy; goods, “Germany must he allowed to trade if she is to meet her liabilities.” “The question of sentiment,” said’another, “lias practically gone. Only in very r are cases was the question asked at all, and the price decided the matter.”