“BUY BRITISH” SENTIMENT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17408, 5 November 1930, Page 12

“BUY BRITISH” SENTIMENT

(To the Editor of the Herald.', Sir,—ln view of the interest aroused in connection with the discussion at the last Power Board meeting over the tenders for lho supply of 50 time switches, a few facts in connection with the matter may be of interest to your readers. From the tenders received, two were selected for final decision by the board, viz. : 50 Vernier 10 amp. switches, £298 10s, and 50 Sauter 15 amp. switches, £262 ss, the former being manufactured in Britain and tho latter in Switzerland. The Sauter switch; is acknowledged to he at least .as efficient as the Venner, capacity for capacity. In this case, though* the tenders were called for 10 amp. capacity, the board lias the opportunity of securing) a much greater capacity at a lower cost. The board requires still to buy some 15 ampswitches, and, if it buys Verniers, will probably have to pay a correspondingly greater price. In the first, place, the board paid an extra £36 5s for 50 switches of inferior capacity. Venner switches of 15 amp. capacity would probably cost at least another £25, though _ I am hoping the publication of this will secure us a quote at the ,price of the 10 amp. The* loss to the board in the acceptance of the Venner tender was not less than £6O, a difference of 23 per cent, on the prices. In the second place, the Venner switches are duty free, while tho Sauter are subject to a total duty of approximately '35 per cent. Allowing for New Zealand agency profits of 10 per cent., the duty payable would be approximately £6O. Mv calculation corresponds with statements made, that the duty on every Sauter switch is over £l. Leaving out the £25 loss through inferior'capacity, the money , sent out of New Zealand unnecessarily is £36 plus £60 —a total loss to New Zealand of £96. With an exchange rate of £6 10s per cent, against us. this amount helps to increase tho. adverse trade balance and thocost of imnorlcd articles of every description. Can Mew Zealand, with its unemployed problems, and with its huge annual interest payments to Britain, afford to make a present, of £O9 in less than £3OO to .a British firm, thus eliminating foreign competition and creating an absolute monopoly of the time switch business.

Whom am nil tho profits tpoince to? Are they being distributed among Rritisb workmen, or are tbov going into the pockets of a few individuals controlling the Venner business? While power boards refuso to consider Swiss or other outside tenders they are only building up a huge monopoly, and must nay for thpir switches any price that is asked. The Venner firm is the only British firm in the market of which the board is aware which supplies _ time switches of the quantity which it requires, and in this matter New Zealand is beggaring herself, not for the Empire, but for one particular firm. Personally, 1 think the £96 applied in New Zealand towards reducing the or ice of electricity and the burden of taxation would have been of greater service to the Empire than it will he in Venner’s pocket. What has forced the British car manufacturers to efficiency in production and fo reduction in prices? Nothing but foreign competition. Had we all noted up to the muchtalked “Buv British” sentiment, by buying! British cars during the past decade, British firms would still be ‘operating on old conservative and out-of-date methods. As it is, they have improved their methods and are now ‘ui'-cossfuUy competing in the world ma’kots in quality, design and price. Briefly, sir. the position is the power board lost PfiO, the Now Zealand customs lost £6O. a monopoly was strengthened. the adverse trade balance was 'U'contnnted. and the cost of living in Now Zealand was increased.

W !, s ih'>te n compensating benefit to the Empire, or was there an excessive profit for a few individually? t leave vonr .readers with those foots before them to form their own opinions as to the extent to who l, the “Buv British” sentiment should ■bo carried, and I account myself no less patriotic because 1 have tried to go t a clear view pf the position.—T “am, etc., nw K BALL,