BUY IMPERIALLY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 9 November 1925, Page 8

BUY IMPERIALLY.

APPEAL TO HOUSEWIVES,

RESULTS IN BRITAIN,

Considerable success has been achieved by the Women’s Unionist Organisation in its campaign in favour, of the buying of Empire, products (writes the London correspondent of the Christchurch Press). In September last year it started this campaign, and the results have been so good that it is increasing its efforts. Its system is to send out boxes of Empire produce from 5s to £5 5s in value to its branches all over the United Kingdom. A£2 2s box, for instance, contains some sixteen tins or bottles of Australian, South African, or West Indian, dried or preserved fruit; a dozen tins of meat, fish, and soup, including New Zealand toll eroa and “rock lobster”; nine packets of cereals from various Dominions: and Empire tea, milk, cheese, sugar, and even cleaning powder. These boxes are opened ati the branch meetings ami examined, and members buy the articles and take them home to test. Pamphlets are distributed which may be handed to retailers. These give the names of wholesalers from whom the Empire produce can be obtained, in case the retailers find any difficulty in obtaining the; goods, from the firms with whom they usually deal. Some 4000 such sample boxes have been sent, out since last September. “We are very careful,” said Mrs C. W. Rolleston, who is one of the organisers, “to keep away from party polities. We even see that our imprintdoes not appear on our posters, and our literature. We have concentrated on Lancashire and Cheshire, and the results have been amazing. Now we are to have a campaign throughout Yorkshire. These counties are the key of the great manufacturing districts of the north, where propaganda is, needed most of all. Our object is to influence the consumer first, then the retailer, and the wholesaler. We, have, found the retailers everywhere most desirous of helping to forward Empire produce. Many of the grocers saw active service during the war, and they have-a very different, conception of the Empiie from what they had in 1913.” COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS.

Hitherto some member of the branch associations, has explained) where the produce in the boxes comes from, and the purchasers have taken the U*, away to prepare for themselves. The Women’s Unionist Organisation is now about to institute cooking demonstrations. Special ' cooks will be sent to various centres, and they will explain the advantage of Empire food and show by actual demonstration that the cooked‘food is, as good as the foreign if. not better. ‘'lt is naturally difficult to find out exactly what the results of the eamvatan are,” said Mrs Rolleston, “but getting plenty of letters from our members saying that now ther are able to obtain articles from their grocers ivho previously dad not stock them. Then again, people talk about- the sample boxes and tell then friends, and reports appear in newspapers; with the result that we are obLining applications for sample bo.-es Horn all parts of the country-from Cornwall, Valeo, from Scotland, and even from Jersey and Ireland. A TIMELY STATEMENT. Some weeks ago Dr Haden Guest, Labour M.P. for Bermondsy, gave a description in the Rpuse of Commons of the unpleasant conditions under which he had seen raisins prepared m the Near East. Dr Guest’s frank statenVllad an immediate People wrote from all parts asking where the* could get Erri pi re-grown raisins. A,list was prepared showing the prices ot Australian currants and sultanas and South African sultanas and raisins, and the leaflet has been widely distributed. B mciU Empire fruit boxes, -costing 4s ’Lp we re also made up, for distribution,’ and doubtless the fesuß has been a substantial increase m the sale Empire dried fruits.