"L suppose Iam biassed in favour of British goods because I have been Jeonnecteg with British trading conditions for so many years, but I can testify that, all the time I have known the British merchant and in all my dealings with him, 1 have: never been let down. There may be points where British goods lack, but. certainly British goods score and. British trading methods score over those of other countries." Mr. Ghun_ Shut-kai, chief compradore of Messrs. Butterfield & Swire, said.
British goods, he continued, are more durable, more reliable' and better all round than the goods of other countries, manx of whom had undertaken to imitate British articles. A fight for commercial supremacy was going on in China Great Britain and Japan. Japanese goods doubtless were cheaper but they could not compare with the British. In the first place, the materials used were not half as durability and that was a thing the Chinese people wanted. On sight, they appeared to be practically the same but upon closer scrutiny would be seen that the British goods were far superior Whereas Japan-exe goods lested from eight months to a year, British goods lasted [double that time.
The British do not go qualities. They aim at Jeustomers their money's worth. Prices are a Lit higher but one cowd be sure that British goods are always well worth the money paid for them, said Mr. Chun. British sugar, for instance, was superior to sugar: refined in other countries. It was. sweeter, whiter and it melted more As an instance of the interest British merchants took in their, customers, Mr. Chun mentioned ease of shipping. Steamers, he said, were used a certain number of years and then scrapped. The steel plates were sold as scrap. The British merchants rather suffered a loss than sell old serap iron as steamers. although prices higher than they. would otherwise receive could be obtained because they realized that) the lives of passengers were at stake ang that what was not good enough for themselves was not good enough for others.
"The British commercial policy as I have known it is a very honest tone. There is no need for us to fenter into contracts. A word on. either side is sufficient. There is a. saying that a 'Chinaman's word is as good as his bond' but I can say without any hesitation whatever that the same remark applies equally to the British merchant. Merchants of other nationalities require contracts but, if a British: merchant says a thing, he will stick:
British sales had fallen off, Mr. Chun remarked that the Chinese people listened to bad They accepted tions at face value bat they were the losers: in' the end without realizing it, However, he thought - that Batish prices might with advantage'
lowered somewhat. The Chinese were prepared to pay slightly higher prices for high quality goods but they could not afford too much.
_An-roply.to a question a3 to. how. 'Sino-British~ relations could' be developed, Br. Chun said that more intermingling of Britons and Chinese was necessary. They should meet in social intercourse more often instead of going their own ys. The Union Club of China had done and was doing much to bring this about.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.