BRITISH MANUFACTURES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17179, 5 June 1919, Page 6

BRITISH MANUFACTURES.

The defence of the British manufacturer, which is put forward by the Board of Trade Journal is a perfectly legitimate one. It is so just and so obvious that the public will bo inclined to suppose that the Now Zealand complaints to which it is designed to be a reply were misunderstood, and that they were intended to be no more than an inquiry to facilitate trade. It is natural that New Zealand importers should wish to know the British

. I manufacturers' plans for regaining j , their old markets, and should in par- ! ( ticular seek information as to what j ' lines are offered, in what quantity • I and quality, and at what price. 1111- ! •j porting will be a delicate business 1 ; during the period when the cost of : . articles is falling, and every busi-; , ness house is anxious to obtain the I best advice upon the course of j prices. Some such anxiety has! : j probably caused Xew Zealand firms ' ! to press for 'information at an in- 1 opportune moment, and has pro-' voked the article in the Board of Trade Journal. It is, as the journal I suggests, impossible to calculate! prices when most of the factors controlling them are unknown, and this has been the situation in Britain. 1 Scarcely had the armistice been I signed before a series of labour disputes arose which caused a complete postponement of plans for the reorganisation of trade. Negotiations had to be conducted with the most powerful unions, and it was certain from the start that employers were faced with the alternative of prolonged strikes or of granting very large increases in wages which would materially affect costs. Moreover, I the disputes affected the key industries, any disturbance of' which would immediately react upon all j others. The miners' demands raised I the question of the price of coal,! and, therefore, affected every industry dependent on power ' pro l dueed directly or indirectly from coal. The railwaymen's dispute involved the question of freights, and, therefore, claimed the attention of every business man in Britain. Further the issue was not confined to wages. Many unions j were agitating for a reduction in j the number of working hours, and I, this led to a revision of all calcu- . lations as to output. The tonnage position was uncertain and manufacturers had the same difficulty in • obtaining information as to the : availability and prices of raw : materials as had New Zealand im- ! porters about the finished article. ' Labour difficulties arc now being ; smoothed out and disastrous strikes ) have been averted, but the economic - effects of the increases in wages are ' i hardly yet calculable. Moreover, ' I British industry has, to use the |! phrase of the Board of Trade Jour- | nal, been turned upside down dur- r ing the war. the labour market is \\ still disorganised, and demobili- L sation is incomplete. Under these < circumstances it is little wonder '. that Xew Zealand firms are finding' difficulty in procuring British goods. I ( The situation calls for forbearance J < and sympathy, and for a patriotic' l determination on the part of the j public to give preference to British! 6 products whenever they can he i c obtained. '