ILLUSIONS ABOUT AMERICA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15824, 22 January 1915, Page 3

ILLUSIONS ABOUT AMERICA.

Sir, —A free advertisement of the merits of America, meaning, I think, U.S.A., was a feature of the Herald's local and general news on Wednesday morning. The Dominion Cement Company are reported as saying they sent their order for machinery to America rather than to England, for the reason that America promised a definite date of delivery and England could not, thus showing the want of vigour and enterprise of that poor old country. May I give my experience under similar circumstances ? A few, ten or twelve, years ago, the Gas Company required a holder by a given time. Tenders were asked for in Britain and Philadelphia. The British tenderers said they could not, by reason of the large demands upon them, give an undertaking to complete under nine months, but would do it in the shortest possible time. The Philadelphia tenderers guaranteed completion in the prescribed time. As time was the essence of the contract, their tender was accepted, the Gas Company being first well assured of the character and stability of the tenderers. What happened ? As soon as the material was shipped the tenderers cabled that it would be desirable to allow them to send over two "sub-bosses" to supervise the work, the cost to be £200 each. For safety's sake the company agreed. Then when the material arrived it was found that the rivets were the wrong sizes and a month was lost in getting the right ones. Then as the work proceeded it was soon ' found that the specified time of construction would be largely exceeded. Then when it was finally completed, and had some time been in work, it was found that many of the steel plates were defective and soon perforated. We sent pho tographs of those serious defects to the makers, but they did not even reply, on the principle doubtless that "least said soonest mended," the net result being that the Gas Company got a holder from U.S.A. which was inferior to any British, cost more, and took longer to erect. When, at a later date, we wanted another holder, we took good care not to go to America. I have no doubt that U.S.A. in many branches of manufacture are superior to Britain ; for instance, in appli?paring machines and many other ingenious devices which please people, but experience leads me to think that in heavy machinery and plant Glasgow and Leeds have still something to be said for them. At a time like this, when the "good Mr. Wilson" —to quote your wordsdisplays, on behalf of the people of the States, so curious a conception of the meaning of neutrality, I must confess to a feeling of offence when the merits of Americans are, without any grounds whatever, exalted at the expense of Britain.

J. H. Upton.