BRITISH TRADE.

Northern Advocate, 17 June 1920, Page 3

BRITISH TRADE.

THE DAY OF ORGAN Icv\Tlo?J.

Amalgamation, and trade alliance l .. >n a very large scale are a frat„iv of the post-war organisation of British industry. The day of large numbers of small manufacturers, working ijniep.iKlcntly on similar lines, appears to tie curled. , British firms have realised that in order to compete in the mark..'-; of the world under new condition? they mnst bo prepared to undertake mass production and specialisation, -me they are making their arrangements accordingly. The British gloss industry, for example, is being subjected to a process of amalgamation. ."More than twenty firms have been brought under central control, and the manufacture or' all sorts of glass in the United Kingdom is being given a great, impetus. Plate-glas.-, window glass, bottles, jar., electric lamps, and many other glass manufactures are covered by the new arrangements. The successful manufacture of optical and scientific glasswat. in Britain on a very large scale seems to bo assured.The British pottery industry is undergoing general reorganisation, largely owing to the "activities of the Pottery Manufacturers' Federation. One of the lessons of the war has been that in future art must have more influence upon the industry than hitherto. Increases in the price of raw materials and in workpeople's wages handicap makers in competing in the very cheapest ware against Japanese competition. For this reason there is a decided tendency towards oliminatiny many of the commoner and cheaper designs, and eoneen-

trating upon fewer lines of good design. This tendency is being encouraged on the technical side by the efforts of the Art Section of the Ceramic Society, and on the economic side by the fact that specialisation makes mass production possible, and Ihe increased purchasing power of certain overseas markets has created a demand for bet-ter-class ware.

The British pottery manufacturers are almost swamped with orders at present, but they state they are trying to maintain their connections within the Empire by filling a portion at least of orders received from overseas.

The organisation of the British leather industry has proceeded a long way. To-day 95 per cent, of ihe output of leather in the United Kingdom is produced by manufacturers who are federated. The activities of the manufacturers' organisations include the centralised purchase of tanning materials, hides, and skins.