N.Z. INDUSTRIES.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16451, 19 February 1919, Page 8

N.Z. INDUSTRIES.

PARLIAMEXTAKY COMMITTEE

OF EXQUIE^

SITTIXG IX CHRISTCHUECH

The Parliamentary Industries Committee wliic'n is enquiring into tiio development. cu-.. of New Zealand industries, continued its sitting m C'hristchurch yesterday. the members of the committee being; Messrs C- A. Wilkinson (chairman), T. K. Sidey, J. A. J. P. Luko. J. T. M. liornsbv, i{. Hudson, H. Poland, W. A. Vcitch, and G. Forbes. SAWDUST. | L. E. Gunner said as the Jesuit ot : his investigations he had iound that sawdust cotii-J be turned into value He suggested ( 1 > the extract of fluids from the materiai, (_') iiie treatment of the residue ;is a lertiiiser. and i'.y) le manufacture oi paving blocks iVom ii SCIENTIFIC HE-SEARCH. The lie v. Andrew Cameron. Chancellor of Otagg University, urged thatthe Government grants to univerAtv colleges should be increased in order to enable the. professors to secure adequate assistance in important research work and to see that the laboratories were as eiiiciently equipped as possible. The University of Ota go was prepared to undertake research won* at once if the Government, came to its assistance with specific monetarv grants. In reply to questions 3Lr Cameron said he was nob opposed to the pro-i posed Board of Industries, but he ! wanted to see his recommendations given effect to first. PAINT. Alfred Ockenden, representing the British Permanent Paint Co. of New Zealand, said if tho.y received a reasonable order from the Government they could increase their efficiency and manufacture the paint more cheauly. They urged the Government to foster and encourage this and all local industries. They hoped later on to make their own linseed oil and to receive Government assistance in this re-1 spect. There was no reason why linseed should not he grown here. ' To the chairman : Apart from camples the first order they had received from the Government was one for 10 «-allon<s that morning. " The chairman said the committee had been advised that there was 110 test but the test of time. The committee had already made representations on the subject, and no doubt the Government's order had been the result. SACKS. M. P. Murray, representing the Textile Bag and Sack Co., Ltd., stated that if a 10 or 15 per cent, duty were imposed on hessian and jute goods, which were admitted from India free, they could bo manufactured in New Zealand. At present his company were importing those lines of goods. PETROLEUM. A. Joyce, manager of tie Canterbury Petroleum Prospecting Co.. Ltd., asked for a Government subsidy of £1000 towards the development of the company's property at Chertsev. • SPRAYING PUMPS. S. M. Mole, representing the Christchurch Mechanical Works, 6aid his company specialised in spraying machines. There was no duty at present on these pumps. He asked that New Zealand be placed on the same footing as Australia, which imposed a duty of 25_ per cent.

To Mr Hudson: If they secured protection they would endeavoui to commence the manufacture of power pumps. WHEAT. Richard Evans, Kaiapoij said the farmers of North Canterbury considered that the same tariff should bo put on Australian cereals as the Australians put on our 3. 'lliis \oar ih«» wheat-growers, after encountering three disastrous seasons would secure a- good crop which would pay. Today it cost the farmer fully double the price to grow wheat as compared with pre-war days. To Mr Veitcli: The duty proposed would increase the price of flour to the New Zealand consumer by 30s per ton.

To Mr Sidey: Wheat 7 growing was essential to the production of other crops. Mr Evans said the cost of the flour in the 41b loaf when delivered to the baker was ssd. The rest of the material would cost no more than $d. To Mr Veitch: The cost of the distribution of the loaf by the "baker was 2d or 2td. INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION. j J. B. Laurenson, on behalf of the j Industrial Exhibition executive, said thoy were not in a position to present details and plans to the committee that morning. They hoped before the committee finished its sittings to meet the committee in some other place. If the conraiittee thought an industrial exhibition would benefit the industries of New Zealand, they would be # asked to give the matter favourable consideration. BARBED WIRE, Etc. J. L. Ower. manager of the Cyclone Woven Wire Fence and Gate Co., said the manufacture of barbed-wire had ceased in New Zealand, owing to the taking off of tho duty. His company could manufacture it easily here if they did not have to face dumping. American exporters of barbed-wire were selling it more cheaply in Australia than hero, there being a duty of os per cwt. in Australia. The same referred to staples He advocated a similar duty here, and if this wore imposed, he was prepared to give an undertaking not to incrsaso tho pre-war cost. He asked j that the New Zealand duty on wirenetting from America he increased from 10 per cent, to per cent., the rate that prevails in Australia. The profejontial tariff should operate against Canada, because American manufacturers had shifted to that country to escape it. He urged the appointment of a permanent Board clear t>f political control to deal with the tariff, tho same as, he said, they had in Australia. BRUSHMAKLNG. Etc. I. Woolf, managing director of Buntin" and Co., asked for a duty of 30 per wt., the same as in Australia, on juried hair and brush-making drafts, as we Lad ttie raw material here. At present there was no duty on prepared bristles, nor on aWists' brushes. He asked for a duty of 23 per cent, to be levied on those of British manufacture, and 30 per cent, on those of foreign manufacture. He asked for the same luty on brush handles. He wanted unprepared bristles admitted free. RULED OFT. A J. Sinclair, gpneral manager of A. R. Harris and Co., 6aid the electrically propelled vehicles imported by :is firm consumed fuel developed in Sew Zealand. The chairman said they would have io rulo witness out. The committee irere appointed merely to consider the levelopment of New Zealand industries, lot to boost outside manufactured ?oods. ELECTRICITY SUPPLIERS. E. E. Stark, city electrical engineer aid he represented the principal purveyor of Lake Coleridge electricity. Th e ~»ty Council had to pay a fairlv iuty on the plant it imported, thouch ±6 Government paid no dutv on theirs He asked that all power 'Boards be placed on the same footing as the Gorernment. If it were not for the dutv the Council could sell its power more cheaply. He did not know of a sin s ]p notor or copper wiro or storage batterv Manufactured in New Zealand Council were there to foster the af electricity. Electee vehicles rec^v

od power from ihe Council's station at my lit time, when it was not required by the ordinary consumer. The only thing that affected ihis enterprise was the heavy duty on the vehicle. ASBESTOS. A. ,E. Orchard urged better roading fr.eilitH'.s for 'caching asbestos deposits in the Dominion. This would allow nis company 10 compete with tho imported FOOTWEAR. J. A. Frc-stick, Efficiency Commissioner ior Canterbury, claimed that the boot-making industry, which he knew most about, was not behind the times in this country, but that it compared more than lavourabiy with other countries where the condtions of life approximated to those hero. In 1890, he said, the industry employed 1475 males, and progoods to the wholesale value of £403,736. In 1916 ifc employed 1455 males, and produced goods to the whole- ! sale value of £801,072. In 1890 4(JB : females were employed, whereas owing to the introduction of machinery 802 j were employed in 3 916. In 1890 the average wage was £72 os to males and £38 8s to females, in 1916 it was £132 2s tor males and £57 9s for females. In 1890 the money invested in land, plant, and buildings was £81,(527, in 1916 it was £29.3,024. The material to output m America was 62.7, in Australia 56.8, and in Now Zealand 54.1. That did not necessarily follow that the Americans cut up more material than we did. There was, of course, the difference in the value. The wages value to the output in America was 20.9 per cunt., in Australia 28.8, and in New Zealand 31.9. The gross profit in America for the wholo of the industry was 16.4 per cent., in Australia 14.3. and in New Zealand 13.9. Out of that 13.9 had to to be met all now plant, buildings, furniture, interest, bad debts, etc. In Alnerica the expenses were estimated at 11;6. If the charges were no greater or* less in New Zealand it would mean that there was a net profit of 2.3 per cent, on the New Zealand output. In reply to the chairman witness, said the whole question of profit depended upon the rapid turning over of stock. Tho Chairman: What would you say is the average profit of New Zealand manufacturers ? Witness said there was a good deal of difference. There was not an industry in New Zealand where the bankruptcies had been on a greater percentage than in the wholesale boot trade. He would 6ay that the firm making a 6 per cent, profit on the average was doing well. Mr Forbes: During the war period? Witness said he was talking about pre-war profits. It was not a fair thing, he considered, to base assumptions upon war figures. In the coarse of further remarks he said ifc was tho duty of the people to set up a standard of living, and ail the protection that was needed was to give [ to people that standard of living, hours, and wages, to give just that difference between their conditions and the conditions of that country which was worse off. Beyond that no protection should be given, and before it was given it was the duty of those engagea in the industry to prove that they were using the very latest and best methods ana machinery, so that tliose goods would be produced at a minimum cost. Having done that they were entitled to protection. Witness claimed that we could manufacture half the quantity of boots and shoes we now imported, which would find employment for 700 persons. SECONDARY AND PRIMARY.

Mr Frostick challenged the presumption that this country should devote the whole of its efforts to fostering its primary industries, to the exclusion of its secondary, by producing a mass of figures. He had been collecting over a long period of years. He stated that out of 48 groups of articles imported into the Dominion in 1913 of a gross value at port of shipments of nearly £14,000,000, the major part of the raw material for the manufacture of 24 groups _of a_ value of £6,600,000 was available in the Dominion (and was in many cases exported by us to come back manufactured; in other cases we had it lying untouched, sucli as iron ore). A considerable portion of the raw material for six other groups of the value of £3,000,000, was available in the Dominion, ana was, in some instances exported. The raw material for seven groups of a value of nearly £2,000.000 should, and could, be made as available here as in any other

[ manufacturing country. Articles in [ eleven groups valued at £2,500,000, were not adapted to manufacture in the Dominion. In support of his argument he quoted Canada as an example of what could be done through the fostering of secondary industries. "What this country wanted was to see that the people wore employed in the proper pro.' portion, one section to another. He meant bv that that we did not want to devote all our attention to something that might fail we did not want to put all our eggs in the one basket. j

To Mr Craigie: If we -were going to develop our industries, we must encourage immigration, but we must bo very careful not to provide two persons for the same job. GLASS.

Harold Bradley, of Bradley Bros., Ltd., glass dealers, asked for increases in the duty on mirror glass, and bevelled mirror glass.

CANDLES. R. H. Wilson, manager of the Zealimdia Soap ana Candle Co., asked either that the penny duty on wax be removed, or the.l the duty on candles be increased. Ho promised if the duty on wax were removed to immediately reduco the price of candles. All candles, he urged, should be compelled to be placed in 16oz packets. PAHAPARA ORB. H. P. Bridge, secretary of the Parapara Iron Co., Ltd., produced evidence to show that there was a market for iron ore in Australia. J. S my the, a director of the company, said the late Mr Cadman had spent £2000 on tho field, and the company, since it took his lease over, had j spent £60,000. Under the present arrangement tha company had'protection afforded until six months after the consummation of peace, and their intention was then to start the works. The Government could assist them in many ways. If the company could raise a certain sum of money the Government should help them by taking up debentures. ' Mr Bridge said that on behalf of the» ccmpany ho had addressed the _ company's proposals to the Prim© Minister before irs left for England. He promised to hand a copy of the letter to

the committee tlie following morning. J In addition they would like some assist- • unco from. the Government in their at- • tempt to secure an officer from Aus- ' traha to report, on the Held. j The chairman said the committee would be pleased to help them in this respect. Mr Bridge said they would suggest that the expert be supplied by the Broken Hill Proprietary Co. The chairman said the committee would require further evidence from Mr Smvthe when it returned to Christchurch after takmg evidence on the subject in Duncdin. j 111 reply to Mr Luke, Mr Smythe said a substantial parcel of the iron I ore had been converted into pig-iron, j It was decided to take further eri- : dence in C'hristchurch on the subject at 10.30 a.m. on Monday, March 3rd ' CLASSIFICATIOX SCHEME. E-. J. Scott, Professor of Engineering at Canterbury College, said teaching duties occupied so much of their time at the School of Engineering that ! they possessed neither the time nor j the labour, without extra assistance, to i carry out further investigations or even j to make use of the information they j possessed. He advocated the classiij- | cation at an esrlv ,'ige of youths for various classes of work. Thoso with scientific brains should be trained for scientific pursuits, those with dulier brains should be Trained as operatives. , He described the scheme which he formulated to the Education Conference which sat in Christchurch. SALT WORKS.

Leslie Macarthur complained that his company could not secure a permit from the Government to establish solar salt works at Xew Brighton, though the Minister of Marine had approved the proposal. The chairman read a report, which stated that the reason why the company's application had been hung up was that the Minister of Finance had refused to allow the company to start business and expend money on works exceeding £3000 in value while the war was on. The Solar Salt Company was one of many so affected. The matter j had been reviewed after the armistice when the Attorney-General had informed the Hon. G. W. Russell, member for the Avon district, in which the works would be situated, that he would now grant a certificate provided the I J irnsury allowed the money to "be

Commenting on this the chairman said apparently nothing definite had •1 . yci.

ins suggestion it was decided tn send a telegram to ascertain if the necessary permission would now be granted.

T |j e Qfl comm: '"ee concluded its sitting at J. 30 p.m. The members then visited the School of Engineering, Canm"ler

The members of the committee will Tw Ca ? terbur v Aviation ComF™ 8 r °l ln s Sockbiirn this morn- , leave for Dunedin by the de I n^f'^) eXPI T S ' They take evi " dence there to-morrow, and on Friday and Saturday. On Monday they leave for Invercargill, where they Tit ™ Tuesday and Wednesday. On the Thursday they take evidence at OamNex't do +1? the , Frid ay at Timaru. Aext day tJiey return to Christchureh rhey vnll stay here on Sunday, and on Monday will take further * evidence and inspect tne City Council's electrical plant On Tuesday they S journey to the West Coastf subsequently proceeding to Nelson and Blenheim.