EARTHENWARE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 176, 25 June 1938, Page 17

EARTHENWARE

QUESTION OF MARKETING. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, June 24. British earthenware and china manufacturers are considerably perturbed at wliat is happening on the New Zealand market, stated the National Council of the pottery industry in a recent letter to the United Kingdom Manufacturers' and New Zealand Representatives’ Association. Some countries, particularly Japan, where labour costs are approximately one-fifth of those in the United Kingdom, are deliberately imitating British productions, both in shape and design, and the retail purchaser without expert knowledge may be quite unaware that the article he buys is the product of a foreign country. On the suggestion of the council, the association wrote to the Bureau of the Industries, suggesting legislation to enable the interested parties to apply to the Minister for an order making it compulsory for imported pottery goods the origin of which is not readily discernible to prospective customers to be indelibly marked with the name of the country of origin. The bureau has set up a special committee which is inquiring into the matter, and which is expected to make recommendations soon.