1934-07-14 — Page 2

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HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, SATURDAY, JULY 14, 1934.

SOUTH AFRICAN TRADE TES-SIDE IRON

where they occurred, losses were mostly due to the reduction in demand for luxury and semi- luxury articles, as well as the growth in local production of cer- tain classes of goods. In the tex- tile and apparel group, ground was lost through the inability of the United Kingdom to meet the competition from countries in which the cost of production was less, due to low standards of labour and wages. In the early part of 1933 there was a mark- ed improvement in this group. the demand for United Kingdom cotton plece goods expanding as a result of the imposition of the Ottawa duties. Increased atten- tion has been paid to the spe- cial needs of the South African markets in the last few years, and this study, in association with the other factors that have been referred to has had prožit~ able results. The spread of such enterprise through all spheres of trade would undoubtedly lead to "allround improvements.

In reports and returns coming to hand, it is possible to gauge to some extent the effects of the perferences "accorded to British products under the Ottawa Agreements, though in the same,

factora period other

of fm- portance have had a considerable influence on trading results. As an interesting example the case of our trade with South Africa" may be quoted. In this the total imports secured by the United Kingdom fell in 1931 to 44.0 from a value of 48 per cent. in the previous year, but there was a recovery to the same extent in 1932, while in the six months fol-

notable lowing, a

advance waS made, for no less than 51 per cent. of the total parts then had their origin. in the British Isles. We have to go back at least ten years to find any figure so good as this. Examination of the statistics by classes, auch s is made possible by the recent publication of a Report on "Eco- nomic Conditions in the Union of" South Africa." prepared by Mr. W. Elmslie, Senior Trade Com- missioner, for the Department of Overseas Trade (Stationery Officer 2s net.), shows that the Improve- ment noted for the year 1932 was Бу до means distributed over every class of trade. Substantial improvements, however, in cer- -tain goods more than counter- balanced serious losses in others, The most outstanding case of improvement was that of vehicles, and was accounted for wholly by the increased purchase of motor cars. Imports of ese from the United Kingdom rose from 2,226 vehicles and chassis in 1930. valu- ed at £462,173, to 4,876 vehicles and chassis in 1932, valued at E621,041. The proportion of the total imports revealed facts of considerable significance. One- seventh of the number of cars were obtained from the British isles in 1930, and over two-Afths” in 1932. In value they represent- ed 21 per cent, and 42 per cent. of the totals for the two years, referred to. The growth of this trade was mainly due to the price advantage gained by the depar- ture of the United Kingdom from the gold standard, to the vogue for light and economical cars such as those made in the Home Coun try-a movement caused by the stringency-and the almost com- plete stagnation of the car trade in the country areas, in "which the American type of car was nor-. mally preferred. Other consider- able improvements in trade were made in chemicals, and in the supply of machinery. The post- tion of the last-mentioned group rose from 54.4 per cent in 1930, to 55.4 per cent, in 1931, and to

56.7 per cent. in 1932. In cases

will

AND STEEL

Imports and Exports

זי

Imports of iron and steel to the Tees last month from foreign parts and coastwise totalled 6311 tons, as compared with 7,604 tons in April. Last month's 10- loadings were composed of 1,494 tons of pig iron. 4,164 toris of crude sheet bars, billets, blooms and slaba, and 653 tons of plates. bars, angles, rails, sheets and Joists. April imports were com- posed of 500 tons of pig fron, 6,623 tons of crude sheet bars, etc., and 391 tons of plates, bars, etc. Aggregate shipments of iron and steel from the port of Middlesbrough, for May were the heaviest of any aronth since Apr, 1931. amounting to $4,912 tons, as compared with 39,871, tons in the previous month. May loadings were composed of 15.271 tons of pig iron. 1878 tons of manufactured fron. and · 37,762 tons of steel. As usual, Scotland was the targest receiver of pig from, taking 9.890 tons. Italy coming next with 1,825 tons. white Denmark accepted 1,175 toms. "tons. and Wales 1,000

South Africa was the main buyer of manufactured iren with an import of 200 tons. Among the principal

Kteel customers for were: China, 4,089 tons; Russia, 1.658 tons: South Africa. 4.111 tons; Denmark, 3548 tons; Por- tuguese E Africa, 1,878' - toms: India. 1,615 tons; and Scotland. 1.280 tons,

The outlook for trade in the Unton appears at the present time to be most hopeful. Ample funds are available, the prospects

developments

STC. of mining great, and the prosperity of the gold mines

carry forward with it, the development of se- condary

and other industries, Providing existing conditions of the gold industry are maintained. It appears certain that the value of the Union as a market for machinery, plant and consunicas' goods of all kinds must increase zold in the near future. The mining industry is the most im. portant factor in the economic life of the Union. It supports, directly and indirectly, a large porportion of the population, and provides a substantial part of the Dominion's revenue..

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INDUSTRIAL PHYSICS

CONFERENCE

A two-day conference, to be held in the spring of 1935. op the applications of X-ray struc- tural analysis to various indus- tries, is being arranged by the Institute of Physics. The main function of the conference will be to bring to the notice of Industrialists what physics and physicists can do to help indus- try, rather than the discussion of technical matters among ex- perts. The conference will be held in Manchester in conjunc- Lion with the local section, of the Institute, and it is proposed to arrange an exhibition, and visit

connection with the meeting, Full detalls will be announced In

due course.

STEEL HELMETS FOR

MINERS

ENGINEERING & BUILDING

PROMPT ACTION

For A Good Water Supply

Representatives of miners and others employed at calleries of the Powell, Duffryn Steam Coa Company. Limited. met at Car- discuss the diff on June 2 to

attitude to be adopted by the miners towards the action of the company in urging that the men

цве Underground should steel reduce the risk of Helmets to injury from falling stores in the cqurse of their work. Mr. W. H May, miners' agent and mines examiner at Pontypridd, "sald that he had worn the helmet consistently for the last fifteen months and would not again examine a calllery without one. The meeting decided to accept the company's proposal provided the company supplied the helmets free of charge.

For Constructural Work of Every

Description

Use Green Island Cement

TWO' REFLEX TYPE ROTARY KILNS HAVING AN OVER ALL

LENGTH OF 254 FELT. THESE ·· KILNS AB& USED TO

MANUFACTURE 'GREEN' ISLAND CEMENT.

Issued by the

GREEN ISLAND CEMENT CO., LTD.

2ND FLOOR

EXCHANGE BUILDING

The Minister of Health, Sir E. Hilton Young, took the oppor- tunity at the opening of the Latton scheme of the Swindon Waterworks, to speak on the sub- ject of the drought. and of the nepersity for prompt actior in connection

measures

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with precautionary Twice he stressed the point, and twice also did he state that measures should be taken "In good time", and "well before- hand It is good to hear Minister speaking t such ener- getic terms, but there is not a little frody in the situation, for the rdvice will appear to many to be a little tardy, and any amount of bustle now will not prevent experiences which might have been avoided if matters had been more energetically pushed some montiago, tastead of valuable time being allowed to slip by with nothing done.

To add point to the situation," the Corporation of Swindon was commended for having faced its problems and secured for itself a good supply of water; but the new supply, brought into being last week has followed upon a lesson learnt by the Corporation, not recently, but in 1920 Live years ago. The obtious inference f that hatead of waiting until months and months of drought had produced a state of dire emergency.. the proper thing would have been for water autho-. rities all up and down the coun- try, encouraged to the utmost by the Ministry of Health, to put' their affairs in order long since, Instead of waiting until two or three weeks ago, when some of the recent legislation came into force.

Sir E. Hilton Young's speech contained other points of interest In addition to his urgent advice to water authorities. He stated, for instance, that a special officer. had been been appointed to pro-, mote regional water committees: this is all to the good." Such com- do valuable work, mittees can

can too though they

eaally be made abortive. The existence of an official of this type should engure

coordination In proper these matters and will, maybe. prevent steps being taken which would hamper further develop- ment at a later date.

A further interesting announ- cement was that a standing con- ference had been arranged on which there would be represents- tives of the British Waterworks Association, the Institution of Weter Engineers and the Water Companies' Association, to act in co-operation with the Ministry- Engineering.

NEW ENGINEERING CONTRACTS

Embankment,,

Messis, Marconi's Wireless Tele- graph Company, Limited, Mectra House, Victoria London, WC2, have provided the equipment for the high-power, broadcasting station at “Abu Za- bal, near Cairo, and the relay transmitting station at Ras el Tin, near Alexandria. The sta tions are connected by land les with the studios at Radio House. Cairo, the headquarters of the Egyptian State Broadcasting Ber- vice. The Service, which - was Inaugurated on May 31, is being operated by Messrs. Marconi on behalf of the Egyptian Gover- ment. The Cairo station has an aerial power of 20 kW, with mo- dulation up to 100 per cent., while the Ras el Tin station, which is semi-automatic in operation, has

1

with modulation up to 80 per

cent.

SHEFFIELD STEEL INDUSTRY

"

Features of a favourable char- acter have developed in 'several sections of the local staal, en- gineering and machinery bran- ches. Steel production is increas- Ing. Current output is estimat- ed at the rate of 1 million tons per annum, which constitutes a record. A steady run is report- ed on basic-steel billets. Acid materials show little change, The scrap market is in a healthy con- dition. Prices of most classes of scrap

Until comparatively recently, the view of the Ministry concer ned seemed to be that the drought of the last twelve months or so was so very exceptional that it would be unwise to embark moon schemes involving expen- or 250 watts in the aerial diture that could not be justitied by average years, and from the prominence, given to regional shemes It might have been im- agfried that these would automa- tically bring. with them the so- lution of at the country's dim- culties. At the same time, we have had re-housing preached up and down the land, as a mat- ter of urgency, in season and out of season, and though admitted- ly a most commendable campaign. circumstances have now shown water to be the more urgent. CA

The Fublic Attitude

It was remarked at Swindon that possibly the Minister of Health had as much on his hands as he could manage with these houstne problems, and that ware. should be attended to by some one else. To our thinking the bardy Hes there: it is in the fact that water services are of old standing and the average man thinks they are good enough as they are. The country requires educating on this matter as bas" proved necessary on others. The campaign, under official auspices, to show that electricity is a neces- sity, to the country cottage haa proved so successful that a charge" of well over 1s a week for this services is regarded as quite fair and proper in many quarters. Yet. If a figure of 10d. or is. is mentioned as a probable rate in connection with a water scheme. all parties, the water authorities Included. hold up their hands in horror at anything so preposte- " rously impossible.

show a rising tendency. particularly in the case of acid- steel sweep, of which supplies are some wo plansefful. A better te

in the try machinery and engineering branches, Armi=" at production has undergone Bile change Wisma engaged in the manufacture of heavy forg- ings and castings in connection with Admiralty orders are work- ing at full capacity. In some in- is necessу. stances Mercantile requirements are on the increase. The call for rail- way rolling-stock shows tule sign of revival Shefeld Cor- poration have placed contracts valued at many thousands of

Messrs. Blackstone and Com-" pany, Limited, Stamford, have re- ceived orders for their automatic vertical and horizontal Unchok- able sewage and aludge pumps from the local-government and other anthorities at Bingley, Wem. Clacton, Northfleet, Coventry, the Birmingham Taze and Rea Beard. Morecambe, and Leices ter. They have also supplied four of the Engine-driven portable sets with 3-in. Enchokabje: primps to several clients, and pumps for a number of bathing pools.

Messrs. The Harland Engineer- ing Company. Limited, BEF. Works, Alloa, Scotland, have "in hand an order for a large bare- hole pump for Brighton. This "comprises two sets, each having a capacity of 4.160 gallons per minute at a head of 455 ft. and driven by 780-hp motors. AB- other order is for a portable bore- hole pump for the Metropolitan Water Board. This has a capa city of 1,390 gallons per minute at 145-ft. head, is towed on two 5-ton trailers, and is driven by a mobile power-house. Orders # also received from South Africa, Canada, India, Iraq, China, and New Zealaríd.

The public attitude really needs. to be reformed in these respects. and the two services drought into their proper relation. From all points of view it is more de- sirable that the cottager should be called upon to pay a shilling out of his none too large, wages for such a necessity as water than, that he should be expected to spend it on a superfluity, which probably tempts him to further expenditure on wireless and sit- ting up late at night when, to follow his calling properly, he woud be best in bed Even a lady doctor of the West of England, who as a member of the profes- slon should have known better, expatiated recently at length on the wonderful thing it would be when electricity was brought to svery country cottage. What good. will it be compared with a sun- ciency of water to make possible

healthy manber

+

overtime

tions having been made by the Shemeld. Chamber of Commerce, the British authorities in Mad- rld have succeeded in procuring exemption, so far as this country: is concerned, from the excessive duties on ales, published in the Spanish Government's Decree pi March 13. In a Decree dated. May 25, the Spanish Government indicates that the previous in- crease in duties was made to operate against countries, which were dumping on the Spanish market, and that it will not be enforced against countries that can prove dumping is not taking place. The evidence basiced on behalf of the Bhadwald Tus (who to a big trade with sphin) proved Chest Blad INA Hence, in not dumping files. their case, the higher duties have been withdrawn. Increased sales are reported in farm and garden moderate Implements. Only business, however, is passing in. and plantation saws, scythes, tools.

+

pounds for high manganese steel "INDUSTRIAL LANCASHIRE tramway rails, Ashplates, mild

steel tlebars, crossings and june- tions, and anchor bolts, nuts, and

RIC plates. Orders

also to be given out for 25 oil-cooled trans- formers, transformer sub-station equipment. four 30-cwt. tipping lorries. concrete-lined cast-iron pipes, and an automatically-op- erated electrically-driven pump- ing plant for use in connection with increased water supply. Bri- tish orders for mining rear are "not impressive. On the other hand, foreign mining enterprises are taking ülgger supplies of 10- cally-made pneumatic drills. dredger buckets, washing plant, and grinding ‘and erushing mac- hinery, Active conditions pre- vall in special steel production: Heavy orders ate on hand for stainless steel for despatch to various parts of the country. An Inquiry has been received locally from Calcutta for 3,336 lb. of tool steel. The tool trades make headway.

Mears. The English Electric Company. Limited, Stafford, are supplying & 400-kW turbo-gener- ator set in connection with the raft of the Royal Mail South American passenger liner Asturias. The impulse turbine has been constructed at the Rugby works of the company, and the com pound-wound direct-current gen- erator at Stafford. Among other important mazine orders is one for the Diesel-electric Installation for a 'barge-handing tug for ser- vice on the Thames,

CANADIAN STEEL

IMPORTS

The Canadian Bureazi of Sta tistics at Ottawa has issued

report showing that the tota imports of iron and iron products in 1933 were valued at 60,734.395 dols, against 67,346332 dels in 1932. It is worthy of note, how ever, that whereas imports from the United Kingdom rose, during the year. from 12,548/21 dols to 15,804,630 dols, those from the United States declined from 586 284 1988. to 41,805,611 dola

Strong recommenda

Messrs. Vulcan Foundry Limit- Lanes. ed. Newton-le-Willows, shire, who are now busier than. for some years past, have improv. ed their order book with a con. tract from the Eastern Bengal. Railway of India for the supply of 30 steam-locomotive boilers and 15 sets of cylinders More than 1,000 men are now employed by the firm, which, besides having on hand an extensive contract for new locomotives for the Lon- don Midland and Scottish Rail. way Company, has orders for more than 40 engines for India "on

Its books. The Earlestown... works of the London Midland and. Scottish Railway Company art also experiencing more active- times, the 2,000 men now engag— ed including several hundred who had been idle for nearly £ve years. Messrs. R. and J. Ďemp- ster, Liraited, Manchester, have secured an order from the Lime- rick Council for a new gasholder,

METAL WINDOWS

MANUFACTURER:

MADE IN HONGKONG

FROM

IMPORTED BRITISH

MATERIAL

95% BRITISH.

THE TAI YING STEEL WINDOW MFG, CO.

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OP 80/85, CHUN YONG STREET. FACTORY-NORTH-POINT, HONG KONG,

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TUG "Talkoo

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Length 787 Feet.

Length on Blocks 750 Feet. Depth on Centre of SIII (H.W.O.S.T.) 34 11. 6-ins. -THREE SLIPWAYS-

Capable of Handling Ships Up

to 4,030 Tons Displacement

Electric Crane at Sea Wall, Capable of Lifting 100 Tens at 70 Feet Badius.

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TEL. ADUERM="""TaiKooDoor, Hona Kozo. TELEPHONE: 80211.;