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Britain continue much longer at its present alarming rate, the results must soon be evident in bankruptcy and disaster at home. The later consequences must be abandonment of our great trading stations overseas, through inability to afford their maintenance any longer.
311. We therefore conclude with one basic observation. The disparity between the prices of British manufactures and the manu- factures of our competitors is, in our view, excessive. Produc- tion and all other costs must therefore be reduced until the prices of British goods reach once more a competitive level. At that level the natural advantages we possess in world trade the skill of our artificers, the good will of our fellow-countrymen overseas, the convenience of our trading stations, our shipping and financial pre-eminence, and our good name will reassert themselves, and we may look for a renewal of prosperity. That such a policy will require sacrifices by all classes of the community in Great Britain, there is no doubt. Between voluntary sacrifices, how- ever, made now in a national effort towards a prosperous future and sacrifices which disaster will force upon us if we fail to make this effort, there is no question as to what the choice should be. Nor in our minds is there a question as to the choice which Great Britain will make.
T. ST. QUINTIN HILL,
(Secretary).
F. A. BARNES,
(Sgd.) ERNEST THOMPSON,
(Assistant Secretary).
(Chairman).
THOS. ALLEN.
JAMES BELL.
W. A. CROWTHER. REGINALD K. MORCOM..
LOUIS BEALE.
S. H. C. BRIGGS (attached to the Mission as a representative of the Wool Textile Delegation).
Hong Kong, 28th February, 1931.
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APPENDIX A.
Notes on the Tirplate Trade in Japan, China and Siberia, by Captain R. T. NEVILI, attached to the Mission as adviser on the tinplate trade. These notes are divided into three sections, as the conditions of trade in Japan, China and Siberia are so different that it is impossible to make any generalisation.
JAPAN.
As far as can be ascertained, in Japan the sale of tinplate is in the hands of a comparatively small number of big firms, and this renders the task of the salesmen less difficult than in many other countries.
The consumption of tinplate in Japan is approximately 100,000 tons, per annum. The big oil companies, such as Nihon Sekiyu Kaisha, the Rising Sun, Standard and Ogura Oil Companies, consume between them about 33,000 tons per annum. In the case of the Rising Sun and Standard companies, purchases are made directly from sources of manu- facture. In the case of the Nihon Sekiyu Kaisha and the Ogura Sekiyu Kaisha, they are made through Mitsui and Mitsubishi respectively. This leaves 67,000 tons for general canning and other work requiring the use of tinplate. Of this figure, the Government tirplate works at Yawata make about 18,000 tons, and it is probable that they will shortly produce 20,000 tons per annum. This deducted from the 67,000 tons general purpose tinplate, leaves 47,000 tons to be supplied and competed for by British manufacturers, representing a value of £940,000 sterling odd.
The largest consumers of tinplate in Japan are:
Toyo Seikan Kaisha. Nichiro Gyogyo Kaisha.
Hokkai Seikan Kaisha. Nihon Seikan Kaisha,
These firms consume between them about 42,000 tons, leaving a figure of 5,000 tons for tinsmiths, small can making firms, and the Navy and Army provision and munition requirements. If these figures are added, the final total of 100,000 tons will be arrived at.
At the present time, this practically all goes to the United States of America, although before the war, Great Britain had by far the larger share. The change in the source of supply seems to date from the period immediately after the War, when Great Britain was unable to supply her old customers, owing to shortage of raw material and the fact that plants engaged in the production of tinplate were antiquated and badly war worn, there having been no time during the War to renovate them, whilst the financial stringency prevailing afterwards prevented the necessary ex- penditure. Gradually, however, improvements were made and by 1926 we were in a fair way to compete afresh in the world's market.
Unhappily, however, the trade received a great setback in the industrial troubles of that year, which threw us back nearly to our starting point. The loss of our tinplate export business, although largely due to the causes mentioned above, may also be attributed to the conversative attitude of the manufacturers themselves. Unfortunately, the Welsh manufacturer has persistently refused to realise that he no longer occupies the position of world supplier, and that other nations are making tinplate as good as Welsh tinplate and, at the period previously mentioned, even better. The faults generally attributed to Welsh tinplate are as follows:
(1) The substance or gauge of the plate is unequal,
(2) The plates are not cut square.
(3) The protective tin lining is not as efficient as it should be. (4) The general packing is not equal to that of the American.
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