British Textiles

Comparative Prices in Islands Stores

HENRY DEXTER, formerly trading in Milne Bay, Papua, writes a few words from his new home in Sussex, England, on the subject of Japanese ver sus British textiles, as used in the Islands.

“With regard to the cost of British tex tiles as compared with Japanese: I do not say that a trader could go into Burns Philp, and S.T.C., or other store, and buy blue drills, turkey reds, or similar stuff, of British make, as cheaply as he can buy Japanese.

“But what I do say is this: I could land such goods direct from the mills there on my verandah in Milne Bay, just as cheaply as I could buy Japanese stuff from a middleman.

“That is the whole point. The stuff the small man buys has been through three or four hands, each of whom has made a profit out of it. That, of course, cuts out probably 85 per cent, of the traders. They are not in a position to buy direct; they have to buy from hand to mouth. But what about the other 15 per cent., who are situated as I was?

They are the folks who ought to get directly into touch with the British manufacturers.”