THE TUDOR BATTERIES.

Wanganui Herald, Volume L, Issue 14743, 23 October 1915, Page 8

THE TUDOR BATTERIES.

1 ARE THEY ENGLISH OR CERIiiIAN? The following correspondence ; speakl for .itself:— : Wellington, 10th October, 1915. The Town Clerk, Wanganui. Dear Sir; —Re Tudor batteries. We duly received your favour of the 11th ihst., with, the,.enclosures-, mentionedand ive thought it desirable to .refer the '.matter to His ALajesty’S Trade Cpn;taissioiier': for New Zealand, which. we did in bur’letter of ,15th inst., a/copy of i which we enclose. We also enclose you herewith copy of letter from H.Mi-Tradd •J. Cwuiuissidner under date ,I8Gi; OstoJfer, | whiph speaks ;.fqr -.itself,—Vourk;. Ver- - truly, .[,’ ■. , , ' . ' Tonibull and Jones, Limited. P.S,—We [enclose, original letter froife j H.M. Commissioner,.Avhich'kindly return after you-hiiVe perused same. Wellington, 15th October, 1915.- , W. G. Wickliain, Esq., / , H.M. Trade Commissioner in New Zealand,.. 1 : 11 Grey Street, Wellington; .., • > ■ Dear Sir, —He -Tudor Accumulator ■ Company. We take tlie liberty of sending you herewith copy of, letter received from, the Town: Clerk, Wanganui, 'under date 6th October- and our reply thereto of-Bth-October. VVe -further enclose you copy of letter from the, Town Clerk of Uth inst. together w’-tli ericlosurm being ; i letter from the secretary of' : the .Wao'ganui. Chamber of Commerce addressed to C:. E.. Mackay, Esq., Mayor of Wahga- - nui. \Ve know from letters we have received from the English Tudor Co. that they are. busily, engaged .at the present time fon orders for, the British Admiralty and, for the Allied Fleets,, and, we also know: ; that [the outcry: against the: Tudor., Co. j has been engineered by -their competitors in business,: particularly Geman firms lyhoso interests; may to*a large, extent -be German, and who are in no way ; restricted from sending monetary ns-' sistanob to, our enemies. v ; Wq-,aro aware,.tlia't the Tudor battery 1 | originated in France, was perfected in ■ Germany,, and is now manufactured in j nearly every country in the world, tho | largest jeompany itndoubtedly beirig the j German; conl'pany. - j :We do'not. know if it is. the English | Tudor Cohipany that is reported, .to , liavel been classified by tfie • ;CommonI wealth- as ja- firm [frith’ whom ,: trhde, ■; is | prohjbited, but we are.-inchhed 'to. be: lieve. that it is the German ppfitpany, frho fre huo'w harl one .of their eugineers in Australia prior to the war. The German Tudor Company has, however, done -ho business in-this-(xjuntry sipce 1907. Wp have .no ddub.t that you have .'already received information from the j Home Government,with regal'd to. Bri;. | tish. manufacturers who may/ be mijt- ] »ng ;. goods originally.', manufactured in i Germany, and w;e, : shall bT ghid ,if you j will .advise us sife the -Boafcl of. Trade' (.considers tho/English/ Tji3»r-.. Gc>.- an enemy,sub,iect,!.or\,a-firm’with whom' it is undnsirabte-for, loyal British, subjectsto , conduct business, -s■ ” i Thafth’hsr you'ioi. ontiofpatidn of. an early, iteply.—V,ours i-yery Truly, ■ ... • : TumbpJl, smd f !Johes, .Ltd. ' UL Grey Street, Wollington, ,'-18thVOctober, 1915. Messrs Turnbull and Jonc^i-Ltd., IP.Blair .[■ /Street, . Wellington. • , . Dtor- • ’Sirs.-r-I -<.aa>> hh-'Tkceipt i’of--yohr-lett|r . of- loth. insL, ife tfiferonoc jo the Tudpr Accumulator Company, Ltd., of Manchester. ’. The; action, of the -Commonwealth .Government in. declaring firms to be “enemy 1 fifsnß' J would -appear/tov. be, if not a-t I variance with , .the -practice -adopted lit V Englafid and, New Zealand* at least based i,on; a ; different of - the’’ position, hand;! the means .necessary*’ to meet it.. - | The Tudor* Accumulator Company, -Ltd., j is without; ahy question*itnanufacturmg bn '. a large scale - at Dukintield, near Maui cheater- Frior[‘to thh'war this firm was on- the “Special /Register’’, of 'the Comj mercial; Intelligence Branch of the Board j of Trade for receipt, of confidential' inj formation aa ,'to openings for, trade’;, This f j fact in itself is propf, that they, were' j mahliifaoturing jn England. Qwjng ; to thoj fact. that a considerable proportion l[ pf the capital was’German* a “supei-vitoC’’ Was appointed (in tfie person of tho.,PlibUo. Trustee) on 28th December.; to control’ tho wt>rk.a-. and take charge! qf,profits- /Uoder this supervision the,,Tiidor Accumulator , Company, with many other firms similarly placed* continues ,to manufacture, and is. doubtless, supplying H.M. Government* Tbqre never .has been, .any, of closing sTjch- worlts or treating .them as. )• “enemy firms,” .With' reference: to the . appointment of supervisors, the Board of Trqde wrote, to. me ; on . 27th. January a-’ folh>Wa ir-gThere is,’[[therefore, no ‘danger, . of the profits of the ’company's opetotiom* going to the-enemy,’’ The steps., taken,, to prevent profits going try* [ while continuing to .give employment , to British labour and at. the -, same, time’ supplying ‘ manufactured products, are re- , gadded as amply fulfilling the objects of thej special legislation/ which has; been passed, ,’ 'V i It is, definitely laid down that in purf chasing the goods manufactured by .such firms,there is po question whatsoever of illegality or “trading- with, thq enemy.’’ j As to the question of wfiat, will ,be done’ • with the profits, ft is,[ useless toppeculate,, Tliere is no room, for doubtthat the Do- ; minions will have, their say when it comes 4 up for discussion. ’- , ' ; : It occqrs to. me to add in tlii,s : eqiitcxt that ' public bodies; and. individuals who feef anxious as to the possibility .of profits going to the enemy might withhd'hr i tege wmh cfiufti oaro .the true, nationality of firms manufaetuiir.g in iieutrpj - countries. In ’ca»M.[.,.;Uhcre - the.capital■ of sneb concerns’is German there is no similar security *hat the pvbhts wijl i not go to Gennnnv "before” the war fe oveV-brYours, faithfully, ~ W. G- W. ADAMS, f - H-.M-. Trade Commissioner.,'