THE IRON INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 811, 7 May 1910, Page 6

THE IRON INDUSTRY.

A CLOOMY VIEW. SUGGESTION TO GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL BODIES. (lly Telesraph—Press ABSocia-tionO Quncdln, May 6. In discussing the condition of the iron industry to-day, Mr. W. C. Burt, of A. and T. Burt, informed a reporter that in nearly every shop would be found valuable tools Jying idle which in times past gave employment to skilled mechanics, who, in turn, provided work for unskilled labour. It was practically impossible, seeing the wages at Home, for colonial manufacturers to compete. Continuing, Mr. Burt said: "We are handicapped to such an extent that we are importing thousands of pounds oi goods which a few years ago were inad& in our works jd Dunedin. It has always been the aim of the firm to manufacture and keep onr. factory employed as fully as possiblo; but the conditions are such now that we have no recourse but to import. We have endeavoured, by continually adding the latest machines and methods, to keep pace with the imported article, bat we have ceased manufacturing to a very great extent. I think the time has. arrived when the Government, harbour' boards, and all local bodies and corporations, should take into serious consideration th« advisability of specifying in all contracts that locally-manufactured goods must be supplied, and each article supplied should be branded as made in the Dominion. "We have the satisfaction of knowing that, even if thocost is greater, the only money that will go abroad is for raw. material, and the balance, by far greater, will be distributed amongst the workers and the community. There has just been landed at the wharf from America the whole of the ironwork for the Shotover bridge. This ironwork could have been produced at any of the local engineering works. The contractor endeavoured to have it made here, but local manufacturers could not meet him in price. "Increase of duties is necessary in cortain lines, but what will serve better to build up industries is an endeavour tO'.get the Government, harbour boards, local bodies, etc., to specify, where possible, the use of goods manufactured in the Dominion."