LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 969, 9 November 1910, Page 7

LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

DOES THE GOVERNMENT "CARE A •■ ; ' HANG"? ■' "', . . ■_ At last.evening's meeting of the Wellington Industrial Association, a letter •was received from Mr. A.. S. Biss drawing attention to the fact that soap branded ."Mado in .England" was being used in the sleeping cars on the Main Trunk line. It did not seem right that when an excellent tablet soap was made in Dunedin that the Government, that professed to encourage local industries should go to England for it. The tablet soaps made in Dunedin were quite equal to anything imported from England.. Tourists and others passing through the Dominion would naturally conclude from' an incident of the sort that New Zealand was' unable to manufacture tablet soap for itself..' The secretary said.; that he had com.muhicaied with. the: Minister for Railway's regarding the matter, and.had received , a - reply to the effect that they had only given a small experimental order for English (perforated) soap, and that the Department had given' orders to the Dunedin firm mentioned- (Messrs. M*Leod Brothers) for the last three years for.soap and candles. ■ ''You may, rest assured," said the Minister, "that preference will be given to Dominion manufacturers • to the exclusion of imported soaps." The chairman remarked that he supposed the Government was buying.m the cheapest market. There was a heavy impost on locally manufactured goods, and he did not assume ..that the Government "cared a hang" for local industries) if they could get the goods cheaper elsewhere. •'.•.-■