THE IRON INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 801, 26 April 1910, Page 8

THE IRON INDUSTRY

THE POSITION IN AUCKLAND. PROTECTIVE TARIFF DESIRED. (By Tclograph.-Special Correspondent.) Auckland, April 25. _ The present stagnant state of the iron industry wis clearly indicated by a tour of inspection made on Saturday by a "Herald" representative to the principal iron foundries and engineering workshops in Auckland. In every establishment visited there were many machines and appliances lying idle, which formerly were kept in constant use, and gave employment to numbers of skilled mechanics who to-day uro out of work. In regard to the. labour conditions, the employers say that wages have, increased nearly 40 per cent, in the engineering trades during the last decade, and the competition with imported goods from the United Kingdom is yearly becoming more keen'. Ono ironmaster went to the trouble to make a comparison of the wages paid in New Zealand and Great Britain in order to show that tho competition must be very prejudicial to local manufacturers. According to the British Board of Trade figures, published last October, engineers (which term embraces turners, fitters, smiths,' borers, slotters, and planers) -are paid, from 28s. 6d. to 335. Gd. per 53 .hours' week; ironfounders receive from 325. to 445. per 48 to 54 hours' week; and pattern-makers, 275. to 455. per 54 hours' week. In New Zealand engineers aud pattenwnakers receive 5Ss. ?d. to 645. 7-Jd: per 47 hours' week; while iron and brass moulders receive a uniform wage of 5Ss. 'Jd. for a 47 hours' week. When the longer hours worked in Great Britain are considered, the wages in the Dominion are (the ironmaster pointed out) fully 100 per cent, higher all round. The compel ition from abroad is considered a particularly big- obstacle for ironmasters to overcome with wages 100 per cent, higher than in Great Britain, and material 50 per cent, dearer. ... It is contended, therefore, that when the ironmasters ask for a .'protective tariff, they are. not asking more :thau the industry is entitled - to expect. - -One of the heads of the engineering trade says that most of the work done at his foundry at the present time is estimated on a bare G per cent, basis, exclusive of office charges, and this, to use his own phrase, "just keeps the .doors open, but could never'build up an iudustry." Tha ironmasters do not, it was explained, ask for a huge prohibitive tariff, but rather n restrictive. tariif, which will enable them to compete on equitable terms with imported machinery. One of, the largest iron and brass founders in Auckland said that 10 and 15 years ago his firm did 00 per cent, of their brass moulding locally, but on account of the big firms being -able to'get their work done at a wage rate of from sd. to Gd. per- hour, they had to practically give up-the moulding .branch of their business, and become importers. Another. great disability which the leaders of the engineering trade say thai they have to work under is tho lack of support from ' the public,, the.' local bodies, and the Government.. This, it is stated, is particularly noticeable in the matter of oil engines. Last year ,£IIO,OOO worth of oil engines were imported into New Zealand, and our ironmasters are confident that as good an article, if'not better, could be turned out locally.. "It is not," said one manufacturer,' "a matter of the quality of the local work being deficient, as is amply demonstrated by the fact that the oil engines made by. the Auckland firms have stood the sever-est-tests, and come, out triumphant where the best imported engines have failed. The buying public seem to be imbued with the idea that anything made in England or Scotland is surely good, but in the trade practical;engineers state emphatically that, while some . excellent machinery comes from the' United Kingdom, there are some very' shoddy oil engines imported, which do not pay a penny duty." ' • ' . . ! '