BRITISH IMPORTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22928, 5 January 1938, Page 7

BRITISH IMPORTS

NEW ZEALAND MARKET FIELDS FOR EXPANSION TRADE OFFICIALS* ADVICE [from our OWN correspondent] LONDON", Dec. 18 A review of New Zealand's import requirements and advice to United Kingdom manufacturers as to the directions in which more attention is required are given in the report of Mr. Boulter, British Trade Commissioner in New Zealand, and Mr. T. G. A. Muntz, assistant commissioner, just published by the Department of Overseas Trade.

"If there is any particular direction in which it is desirable that United Kingdom manufacturers should turn their especial efforts, it would appear to be that of supplying industrial machinery for use in factories, mines, etc.," states the report. "J.t is doubtful whether the, openings presented by these undertakings have been as assiduously or as successfully cultivated as have the markets for such standardised articles as textiles, apparel, metal manufactures, china and glass. Whatever may lie its immediate difficulties, manufacturing industry will dcvelqp and expand in this Dominion as in others and will in the future as in the past provide valuable orders. United States Gompetition "In agricultural machinery competition from the United States, as well as from Canada and Australia, is keen and successful, and though, as for instance in harvesting machinery, the requirements of New Zealand are different from those of the United Kingdom, it is felt that a larger share of the trade might bo obtained in competition with makers in New Zealand as well as overseas. Considerable orders for certain kinds of heavy civil engineering machinery have been placed in the United States in the absence of any manufacture of suitable plant in the United Kingdom.

"The difficulty of securing domestic servants creates a regular demand for electric appliances to lighten the task of the housewife. Sweden sends far more vacuum cleaners to New Zealand than the United Kingdom, and Canada lias built up a successful trade in washing, wringing and ironing machines. Refrigerators from the United States are very prominent and refrigeration orders have gone to foreign countries that could have been executed in the United Kingdom. It is anticipated that air conditioning will be more generally adopted in course of time. The extension of internal air services opens up a field for a variety of ground equipment apart from the need for aeroplanes. Requirements Should Be Studied

In many cases the practice of the United States or Australia was followed. Ifc was often necessary to introduce some departure from the designs in current use in the United Kingdom. Unless adequate steps to do this were taken the loss of trade to other countries would be larger in the near future, when considerable expenditure on capital account was likely to follow on trade expansion and the adoption of a higher degree of mechanisation to offset shorter hours and higher wages.

It was also important to give British products the publicity they deserved. Factory or mine managers usually found themselves in possession of ample supplies of foreign catalogues, particularly from the United States, and equal facilities should be accorded by manufacturers from Great Britain. An agent who was endeavouring to place a new contrivance was very severely handicapped if there was any lack of leaflets for distribution.

New Zealand manufacturers placed great importance on adequate working instructions and blue prints to guide them in the use of new machinery and on the presence of servicing engineers in the Dominion. It was also important to send out travelling factory representatives. Competing manufacturers in other countries sent trained men who had experience in both the cqnstrtiction and operation of the articles they were trying to sell, and British makers should do likewise.

PRICES OF METALS TIN EASIER AGAIN LONDON, Jan. 3 Following are to-day's quotations on the London metal market, compared with thoSe of December 30: — Jan. 3 Dec. 30 Per ton Per ton £sd £ s d Copper, stan. spot 39 10 0 30 5 7'/ a Copper, stan., 3 mos. 30 13 9 30 11 3 Copper, electrolytic 43 5 0 43 0 0 to to 44 5 0 44 0 0 Copper, elect., wire bars .1 .. 44 5 0 44 0 0 Lead, soft, spot .. 15 3 0 15 10 7 1 / a Lead, soft, forward 15 0 10% 15 9 4 1 3 Spelter, spot .. 14 10 7% 14 18 V/Spelter, forward . 14 15 1% 14 10 iov£ Tin, stan., spot .. 181 7 fi 183 10 0 Tin, stan., 3 mos. 18L 7 0 183 8 0 STEEL IN BRITAIN INDUSTRY FLOURISHING British Wireless RUGBY, Jan. 3 The British Iron and Steel Federation. in summing up the position of the trade in its end of the year review. states that the steel industry entered upon 19:18 at a record rate of output in the hope of reducing undelivered orders to more normal proportions. During the current year the industry is to spend a further £10,000,000 on expansion, and work is now proceeding on large projects in South Wales,' on the Clyde and in Lincolnshire.

In many ways last year was a record onq for the trade. The output of /steel ingots and castings increased more than 1,000,000 tons over the 1936 total. Wages increased by £8,000,000 on the previous year, and number of employees constituted a record.

NEW PRIVATE COMPANIES AUCKLAND REGISTRATIONS The following private companies have been registered in Auckland:— Tasti Products, Limited, food manufacturers. Capital. £3OOO, in £ I shares. Subscribers: O. K. Lawless, J. Crisp and V, Watson, 1000 shares each. Walker Buetow and Company, Limited, wholesale and retail chemists, Capital, £2OOO, in £L shares. Subscribers: M. A. Walker and 0. H. Buetow, 3000 shares each. Taklo Brothers (Flock Manufacturers), Limited. Capital, £2OOO, in £1 shares. Subscribers: Takle Bros., Limited, 1098-shares; S. Takle and I. J. Takle, one each. T?otonia Tructor Company. Limited, motorcar appliance (manufacturers. Capital, CfiOO, in £1 shares. Subscribers: C. J. C. Grant, ,105 shares; L,'P. Danaher and T. Mcllro.v. 100 each; C. Day, Mrs. F. B. Davies and Airs. I. M. Grant. 30 each; C. A. Frost, .*>. E. S. Contts. Limited, general merchants Capital. £SOO, in £1 shares. Subscribers: E. S. Couits, 409 shares; E. Jenkins, one. BRITISH WAR LOAN British Wireless RUGBY, Jan. 3 "War loan, 3} per cent, is quoted today at. £lOl 16s 3d, compared, with £lOl 10q on December 29. "Jsi'L:. 'rn in.