FOREIGN PENCILS

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1931, Page 16

FOREIGN PENCILS

NEW GOVERNMENT ISSUE.

MANUFACTURERS CRITICAL

Sharp criticism was levelled against the Government by delegates attending the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Conference at Wellington, when attention was to a new issue of pencils stamped “Made in Bavaria. N.Z. Government,” which have just been distributed in a branch of the Railway Department at Petoiie. It was considered that the issue could not be reconciled with ■ the oftrepeated urging of the Government to buy British goods. “We have been told time and- again to patronise British goods,” said Mr. J. Abel, “yet here is something that happened yesterday. Here is a pencil from brand new stock issued to celrks in Petone. On it is printed ‘Made in Bavaria,’ and on the other side ‘N.Z. Government. 5 It may be only a small thing, but the Government hammers away at us that wo should buy British goods because we have to sell there, and we agree with that policy. Instructions have been given to heads of departments to carry out that policy, but they are absolutely ignored. 1 should like the matter to be brought to the notice of the Prime Minister.”

(Mr. J. G. Jeffery, Dunedin, said English manufacturers were capable of making pencils equal to any of foreign manufacture. There was no need to go abroad.

The president took the pencil, a blue one with blue enamel finish, and said he would bring it before the Prime Minister.