"LET THEM ALONE!"

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 950, 18 October 1910, Page 5

"LET THEM ALONE!"

- .q:. .'.'; : ; ''; ; » "". .';.; ';./;v- ; V ;-; POSITION OF OUR INDUSTrVeS.<'^ * HANPICAPPED; BY LEGISLATION. '•' Some striking figures in regard .to .the;:: :.' decline of various industries apart from' ..':;: those relating to the' products of the soil '-...... were, given by Mr. Herdihan; M.P..for'••'•','■ Wellington North,' in the, course of hi», ;:.".;'■ sessional address last night.. .;: .'■ :-':l. ;:In New, Zealand (remarked Mr. Herd-/-:■.; nian) the great industries,'wool and frozen ; ymeat, butter and cheese, timber and/flax; '■ '-:.- came from the land. .'Not long ago, it .->.'■: j'-was officially stated ' that,! at .the 'present'■■ j ratei all the Crown and Native" lands:,-; "•' would be settled. Then; what was-to, be ,(' done? We would have to look forward'-:., to something more than closer settlement,;,..,,-. It.iwould never.;do to look*.forward to-$;'.' :; .., ; ■ future in .' which our existence .would be:.v•'-.',':: dependent entirely on what we could get -';,: from our land. We should have some ro-;- : .-:. . gard for our other industries. '. . Agreatdeal :::>.'': of Our: legislation had been in the direction A'.;;. of crushing our industries':- It could not ";,':■: ■ bo, gainsaid . that a.t present. our'-'indus-t';. : tries.were cramped. Taxation"j'might ac- ;>;f.; count for part of it., Legislations, certainly'-V-'-'iy;. ■' accounted for sonie of it.: -The trouble "'-pfi-. ■with labour might-account. part.of .-:'::;■ ifc Then,- again, there was : undo'ubtedry,";;: an element of -unsteadiness- in jthe '.com-:; : " m unity.: There was: tod-much legislation,, S- : *: and- people .-with', money would iiot. invest- •'. it in industries.. What was;,weinted'was .;£?.£ to.encourage men ' with 'capitoliito invest ■:';';■"',. it in ; oiir' industries. . ."' J! J : i: ':::.::.• ; i ;,A voice: There is no margin of profit.-'-.v:'..-v :, ~Pwce^cUng,, . -MrV;-! H eTd^an..saiir-th'aV; was speaking just as: much from the point .:;.''.■ of view, of the andjj the eiii- -:,,;.';' plovers "as-from that of the plipplo ,who -■'.' ■.V ■'■: had.-money to.,:invest;'"The ; industries'^;;;:;.; tMs Dominion:.would.never flourish" s'o ; 3.' ;.': long as there was constant change.in.'re-.v.;:-: gard,.to.legislation.'::,As,-things.'/wej-e:at;':.;-. present no .man : knew • his- pesition/":' Ho >": -v; ■ had / made inquiries . as, to why some of '.' t'v : \ our industries.were.-.not: flourishing.'...ln ■: r ?: reply, he had-been-told that-those with':;.:.; money would not invest. -Nobody'could:■ '■ '■ ••" say that our commercial, life w-as full .of v;,,.:. activity. -. . :/■::''.'::':■ ■■ : '\'-. : - :--■'::; -iiv-, 'It was trite, cbntinued'ilr.' Heidman;^ : : v:y that '.wool other industries.. relating' : ..-- J: ;' to;the : soil were bringing in a -large'sum-.S'.-■■■;';: constantly., into this;country.'.- But: what•';■>::■: about the' other, industries? ; In i 1905;:ouT ; i'':; "--;-j imports, excluding' 6^iiiv-"-wcM' ! '-'at : i-tb.ei'/J,.-:. rate, of, JSii 2s. 10d;i per;-head. ■■•■'Bs-':W^'' : :-'-'■■'■ the, rate per. capita had 'risen to'v£lf|'ls.:'..;.,, ;■ sd."'i There ; ; were-in : 1901;. SCSd^mamlfaci. : y^' ; tones or .works in the.'Dominion,''or lohoj; ?> : to' every 210 of ' the total" populapoh.;:'■-; ; In ISUB,' the; total;-.numberj was ;--'■". ■.4iSG; ."..-• or., one; .to."-' -v.every :; : : 216.' } I in- -V■habitants'.."''" This :showcd" : - clearly...-that;/':;;;: there i.had : -been : no ;; improveiiient.;": ; :>"-.' Then;;:-take the';'industxies:.','ih : ':!; which;,': r ;;.: NeK Zealand, did -a; good .'busipess;]!:;ln:;,,J : ;J ■1900 the. output from: meat-free7Jng;;l[prer';:V-.; : , : serving, and :works.!waa at..'-.;;?. the : rate:of JM'l9s. 3d.- per.-capita.f Ini'.,.-.; 1905. it,had increased ..to ,'i!s;Us:'BdJf-As«i;t;: regard .butter, and' cheese : factories Jitha::;;:; output: per capita" in : 1900 ; . was, £1 19s.„;„5;; as against .^2:lßs::inU?os;:i;Here, ! .th'eni:;:;:t;; : Svas : i : distinct improvement. : .'ln cohhec-; v.-; lion' with sash'and- door'.works,: etc:,', the .';K: figures,.wore:33s;.and : .4Si; and in ; to'grain^mills;;tho.figures : :.were:.l7s; : ,and;i: ...fc 235.- respectively. ;,.But'?.when,;'.one;';left ■y.,--h: ;tho^ : .Jndiistries;-the v ;pbsiti6n;v,w'as;: : .>Ka.* ; '^ ; :. : .; gother ';different:,-; .•.;.;:: etc.; for'instance.'.:ln; 1900.the tures .totalled'dei l ßSS,lo7,'but:ih-1905:tho;v;:?-outpiit'had'decreased to iDl,S36,oofl.;;,Then 1 T ';:; ;: -there; -was-.'the .iro'u. and.brass boiler-niakihg; ;letc-', In ; 1900.-- the v output/, ?S. totalled d£924jl7ll"^^whereas.in'- 1905 itagßre- I ';:,''?. gated o'iUy. ; '-JEB77,BSi/ : "As.'-.regarfS':d6tb^>';/.;^ ; ing, ..boot:and.i'shoe, factories,■'-tMJ'-. :tion; was:. equally;:., unsatisfactory.'.';-'; He l :-:0> found that\ the output ;had:. fallen : : froin in in; -i805.;v,;:;; The.output ii : regard'to wooHen.imills'in.-;:-:;:,': -39dO;was 9s/::^d.'-.per ;head; ibutin:,l9os»:SJft it;'had/falleir to ; 9s.; r ;whilstia^:vregardsj; dress-niakingi; the' ;figures ;wero -. 8s; ;and: 7s, :per quoted' : were: Saddlery, and harness ;faci'}i-. ri' tories:;! 1900, : S140,813;;:-;:'i-:: chaff-cutting:'.' 1900,'': .£169,613;: ;'-;i9os,vi;^: ; vfilS9,o6o;';.: shirt-making:.:. 1900/.::.£75,879,'):;-aC 1905, : ;' spouting and. ridging:;-1900f•. few .1905, paper-ba|i:' J ;::-;:' faotories,;i9oo,;;£l4,2l7,-.:19P5,:'£U,9«.':; Mc : :L,. ':;;,In'cbncluding;his' heading^;Mr. : 'llerdmnii:, said •: ;.;'*); ,a, significant fact;.that v :there ;hijd;:beeiv:::;.v;f suoh a -deolineiu . the' -verious,'.'industries: ,';',';.,■;; 'which-'he;had. -cited,.:;;. hdthirig 'fo: militate .against; the.; growtlv;:-«::.- : of,our indusjries.we ought.to^hayo.beeii*.-'.'/',■ soaring .up",iu that'''direction: ;But-:.what;.";.-; • had-;they■• had?: ; Legislatioh harassing;:to;v-;;;;,■ :th? .workers; harassing'.; to -the employers;:': m l -!. ,and,. harassing vtd; investors. ;,;j consequence. waCthat, the';whbla commun; ~':::;,:,; ityihad.:suffared;;aud especially thi>:;wc)rfc!:!%Jingtclasses who; found . to. get, employinent. -.in.dustniil-^'>v: world- there, .were ■'• laws : :-;in;. operation;.. ;;?;■:, vwhich; legislation' could: hover 'mddifji sW x : this,:couutry : wants," added: Mr. ';:;>&' Herdmsn, "is:to, ; be'left alone, Let' the::;; ~:\ people 'alone, ~ Jfit- them : " worK out '.their;■:-">:.■/." 'It;isVbetter for a: neiv,'coun-';*v;.:'i try should; ;bo given ■"' for; the. investmeiit•: .of. moneys', in".;'S •■'; industries',:, -If that; \vere, the': position'the.'':""'." people. *wouldl' ha- happier mbre'.-Con^.::.';-::':.

stantly }. employed,'-and the;: whole: c'ohdiv•'/,■■ .0 tiqn. of the : . people would be improved.* ■}>- '• ■/ (Loud Applause.) /;•;/'' '■<■'>. :•;-■:-■■ ';;-:. y.yy. : >;y,;