TRADE DRIVE

Southland Times, Issue 22156, 26 October 1933, Page 7

TRADE DRIVE

JAPANESE ACTIVITY CHEAP WARES FLOODING MARKET INQUIRY IN BRITAIN (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) London, October 25. The Government is making a most comprehensive investigation into the effects of Japanese competition on British trade in view of discussions between British and Japanese industrialists in the middle of November. It is hoped that instead of resorting to higher tariffs to protect the home manufacturer against low wages, Government subsidies and the depreciated currency in Japan, a more amicable solution may be found by agreement between the two countries. Manchester shirt manufacturers are the latest to suffer from the sudden flooding of the market with cheap Japanese wares. Whereas the price of English shirts is 32/- a dozen, Japanese are selling in Manchester at 21/and Japanese bathing costumes are offered at 2Jd apiece. Meanwhile, Lancashire is faced with further troubles in connection with the more looms per weaver movement, which is causing threats of a strike by cotton workers and threats of drastic wage cuts by the employers, despite the fact that it is obvious that a stoppage at the present time would result in irrecoverable losses.