A NEW INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1260, 23 April 1896, Page 32

A NEW INDUSTRY.

'The desire of the public of tho present day is for tho best quality goods at tho lowest; possible price, an I any firm which endeavours to moot tho wishes of tho community in this respect is entitled to moro than a passing word of notice. Iho great difliculty that lias always had to bo faced by flu! merchant who liar, set himself tho task of meeting the public in this respect is to do away with the profits of tho “middleman,” who, coming between tho wholesale house and tho retailor, renders it impossible for the purchaser to obtain the articles ho requires except at anything but a very considerable advance on tho cost of their production. In the case of a colony liko Now Zealand, too, this difliculty has been increased by the fact that the public were not only forced to pay the increased price for the goods they purchased, but tho middleman, win) received the dilference in tho cost, was not local ed among themselves, but received and spent his profits where it was impossible it should circulate to 1 heir advantage.

Setting an example which entitles them to every respect, Messrs Kirkealdio and Stains, the well-known drapers, Ac., of Hamilton quay, have initiated a departure which bids fair to attain the desired end of enabling the public; to purchase firstclass goods at a minimum cost, and thus to result in a very great saving to tho public. The idea is wherever possible to increase I in; manufacturing portion of the business ;

in fact, to do the work which has heretofore been done at Home, by which means customers not only obtain goods equal, if not superior, in point of quality to tho article which was previously imported, but as tin; middleman and his profits have been done away with the cost of tho goods is decreased very considerably, while tho community generally is benefited by tho increased demand for labour which this departure involve.-.

In the case of waterproof garments, for instance, tho material is made up for tho cii.domor on the premises, and in place of tho made-up garment being offered for inspection the customer can, if he dots not see a garment that suits his purposes, have one made up for him in any style lie likes. Another important department to which the innovation has been extended is the manufacture of bedding. All the necessary machinery for the purpose has been set up, tlio Hock, kapoc, Ac., of which immense quantities aro in stock, aro thoroughly cleansed, purified and deodorised before being used, and this, in addition to the fact that tho bedding is manufactured by competent and experienced

workmen, is sufficient assurance to the public that the goods they purchase are in every respect of the highest quality. The same system has also been extended to the upholstering and general furnishing departments, while the fact that all the material used is of the best quality is an additional assurance that the public will get good value for their money. The effect of the innovation is that a large number of hands are employed in the several departments, which of itself is a matter of considerable importance, while the increase in the quality of the goods manufactured and the reduction in cost to tho consumer renders the change a decided boon to the community. All these things show advancement towards that position which all countries should aspire to, namely, as near completeness as possible. And this can best be done by manufacturing the articles which tho country consumes. It was the manufacturing industries that made England and made America.