ATTITUDE ALTERED.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18366, 27 April 1925, Page 12

ATTITUDE ALTERED.

INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION AND DUNEDIN EXHIBITION.

SECONDARY INDUSTRIES SECTION TO BE SUPPORTED

As indicated in a reference to the subject which appeared in "The Press" of the 21th inst., the Industrial Association of Canterbury, through its Executive Committee, has altered its attitude towards the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition. At a meeting of the committee held on Friday night it was resolved to do everything possible to assist in making the New Zealand Secondary Industries Section of the Exhibition a suecess. The president of the Association, Mr E. H. Marriner, was in the chair at Friday night's meeting.

The matter had been fully discussed at a meeting of the committee, held on the ISth inst-., which was not open to the Press. As the result of that discussion, Mr H. E. Best gave notice of the following motion:—"That in view of the letter of the 4th of April from the President of the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition Company, and also in view of the fact that ex-enemy countries' exhibits will not be accepted by the Exhibition authorities in Dunedin, the resolution of October 22nd, 1924, and the decisions embodied in that resolution, be and are hereby rescinded with a' view to the executive taking immediately such further action as may be considered advisable in the interests of New Zealand Industries."

Mr Best, on Friday night, moved this motion, and in view of the previous discussion, did not say anything in support of it. Mr H. Burson seconded it.

Mr H. Willis, who moved the original motion (the resolution now proposed to be rescinded) said he had neither seen nor heard anything to make him change i his mind. He was of opinion that MiBest's motion was not constitutional. The Association existed to develop . and encourage New Zealand industries. To support an exhibition that was international in character was not quite carrying out those objects. They had no mandate from the Association to take any action respecting the Exhibition. The fact that the promoters had not been able to persuado a large number of Canterbury manufacturers to exhibit proved that the Exhibition was not viewed with favour by a, majority of those engaged in the secondary industries. He spoke strongly, and at some length, against the international character of the Exhibition and against any encouragement being given to foreign manufacturers, and said that at present New Zealand was overrun by "thousands of manufacturers' representatives and indent agents," many of whom had a room at the top of a threestorey building and employed no staff. Legitimate wholesale firms found these people were cutting into their trade so seriously that there was great danger .of many having to reduce staffs. He moved, as an amendment: —"That a special, meeting of the Association shall be called to consider a proposal that a previous resolution refusing to give any official recognition to the New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition be rescinded; (2) that a committee consisting of tho president* Mr Best, Mr Jenkin, and Mr Woodroffe be appointed to draw up a circular letter, clearly setting ont both sides of the question and urging every member to attend. (3) In the event .of any member being unable to attend he shall be requested to record his vote, either for or against the.proposal." Mr Willis added that if the executive desired to have the backing of the Association they should have no hesitation in agreeing to this amendment. Mr F. L. Hutchinson seconded' the amendment and expressed regret that the manager of the Exhibition had not met the executive; if that had been done, there might have been some ground for them changing round. The chairman said that Mr Hainswortli was not able to attend that evening, but had met tho executive that morning. Mr Hutchinson said that he had not been able to attend. Replying to some points in Mr Willis's speech, the chairman said that no ex-enemy countries' goods would be shown at the Exhibition. Mr Willis: Dunedin was tfliß first centre to ask that the embargo on the importation of goods from ex-enemy countries should be removed. The chairman said that tho decision he had just mentioned had, taken away the great stumbling block that they as industrialists had been up against at the beginning. The part they were interested in was the secondary industries. If they assisted in that part they would be helping to show visitors to the Dominion what New Zealand could do. They did not want to see the secondary industries court a failure. As to referring the matter to a general meeting of the Association, he said that he had never heard of such a proposal; the executive had full power in the matter. Mr J. A. Frostick said he desired to support what the chairman had said, and also to support the motion. It would be difficult to find stronger arguments than those audueed by Mr Willis in support of vyhat wa3 proposed to be done. They were particularly interested in educating the people of New Zealani in the belief, or idea, that if they bought goods they required that were produced in New Zealand they would have nothing to be ashamed of, and would lose nothing by giving preference to their own people. He dealt at some length with the endeavour made to restrict the Exhibition to an Imperial Exhibition, and said that the majority in Dunedin had determined that it should jje international in scope. He indicated that there were strong grounds for allowing exhibits from countries that were Great Britain's allies during the Great War. To refrain from supporting the secondary industries seetion, he said, would be playing right into the hands of the nations that were trying to beat New Zealand in commercial competition. They would be punishing themselves and make it far easier for foreign nations to come in. By withdrawing, individually and collectively, from taking part in the Exhibition, they would be showing to their own people that, because of foreign nations coming

in, they were ashamed, or were afraid, to show their own productions. Tho fact- that they would have to show against foreign countries should be the strongest incentive to them to exhibit. He believed that tho Association had been right in making a strong protest against the Exhibition being international in character, but they had been beaten on that point and as the prosperity of New Zealand was of the greatest importance to them they should try to make the secondary industries court something to be proud of. Mr Willis said that nothing solid had been advanced to justify the Association in altering its attitude." He was of opinion that they were simply turning the other cheek "and that New Zealand would find herself where England found herself —with a dole.

The motion was supported by Messrs H. Bradley, I. "Woolf, A. W. Beaven, and IT. R. Best, and the secretary (Mr Denys Hoare) read extracts from a letter ho had addressed to the president, in which ho urged that the Association should alter its attitude. In his letter Mr Hoare mentioned that the international exhibits at Dunedin would bo limited, probably, to motor-cars from the United States. " He added that the Exhibition authorities had been approached with the view of one-third of the building set apart for New Zealand secondary industries being set apart for imported goods. They did not want to do that, being as anxious that there should be a big court for New Zealand products, as the Canterbury Industrial Association ought to be. Mr Hutchinson suggested to Mr Willis that tho amendment might be withdrawn. Mr Willis submitted that the amendment was not antagonistic, but simply asked that the responsibility should be placed on the wholo Association. There was only one vote in favour of the amendment.

The motion was agreed to, only one vote being recorded against it. On the motion of Mr E. H. Wilson, seconded by Mr Frostick, it was resolved (with one dissentient): 'That the executive expresses the opinion that the industries of New Zealand in general and of Canterbury in particular can be best served by the Canterbury Industrial Association offering its unqualified support to the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition as far as the New Zealand Industrial Section . is concerned." On the chairman's motion, seconded by Mr Frostick, it was agreed to set up the following committee to work for the Industrial Section of the Exhibition: —Messrs Marriner, Maddren, Webb, Bradley, Holland, and Burson. After a brief discussion in committee it was reported, on resuming in open meeting, that it had been decided to offer the Association's support to the Primary Industries Committee in connexion with tho province of Canterbury.