The actual extent of piece-goods dumping in Shanghai thus far may not be determined by the Customs reports, since the goods are sent overland from Russia to such ports fas Tsingtao or Tientsin, and enter Shanghai as inter-port cargo. "At any rate, it is believed that the practice is comparatively a new one. It is true that certain Russian materials and articles have always been lower in price than similar goods of [British or American make, but there again it is a matter of competition, not "dumping." Ladies' frocks on 'Avenue Joffre may be brought for considerably less than in the Nanking Road shops, but not because of Soviet manquvres, Russian shop rents are cheaper, Russian labour is Jeheaper, and the' Russians themselves, whether or not they are me Jdulging in Soviet opportunities, have learned to live on a considerably, ess amount than have the French, British, and Americans in Shanghai, JAs a consequence they have found it possible to offer their craftmanship and produce at lower rates.
Apart from the piece-roods dumping there has been no actual cone firmation of Soviet dumping in other fields. It was tried once with Rus-ian cigarettes, a superior delicacy which might have proved popular, had the Soviet Government been, able to afford it, Even their lowest possible prices were easily under-bid by the British and the American tobacco companies. Of late there has been considerable talk about Soviet oil. So far it has come to nothing, although one concern in Shanghai which deals in oil has Soviet Department which augurs no particular good for other oil com panies. Russian lumber offers no serious competition to American and British concerns, since the timber sent from Siberia is used for a different purpose than that sent from other countries. In all probability builders will continue to use the more durable American and British lumber for construction purposes, Jwhile the softer Russian lumber is admirably suited for boxing, ete Into the matter of prices must be Jcounted the consideration of ultimate practicality. No undue amount of wood has entered Shanghai from Russia recently at any rate, and leven if it should it would no doubt prove unprofitable for its agents, The Soviet Government, it seems, have but one purpose in its sacrifice of products which are so badly needed at home. If Russia is really selling her basic products so far below cost as has been rumour= led it only means that 180,000,000 people are denying themselves necessaries and breaking their backs fat hard labour in order to supply mon-Communist countries with an Jabundance of cheap goods. (* the other hand, if Russia is able to tundersel} the rest of the world with: Jout, incurring losses on the tr then the bureau! organization must be proving a huge industrial success, and the mass of evidence points to an opposite con+ dusio
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.