THE IRON INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 977, 18 November 1910, Page 8

THE IRON INDUSTRY.

UUETHER PROTECTION SOUGHT. A large imputation, representing employers aud workers in the iron-manufac-turing industry, accompanied by several members of Parliament, waited upon the Hon. T. Mackenzie. (Acting-Minister for Customs) last night with a view to urging that further protection should be afforded in the case' of certain articles. It was stated.-by members of the deputation that at the Primp Minister's suggestion the ironmasters' associations throughout the Dominion had carefully gone into the question of what articles could be" economically manufactured in New Zealand, and bo fairly granted a protective duty of 30 per .ceut. During tho time in which one and a half million acres of laud had gone into cultivation in New Zealand, only threo additional workmen wero engaged in the manufacture of- agricultural implements. Now Zealand had imported four and a half millions' sterling worth of machinery in fivo -years, but half of it could have been manufactured in the Dominion had a 33 per cent, duty prevailed, and employment could have been given to 1000 more trained ■workmen than could now he. engaged. Iα the list of machinery proposed to be protected, reapers and binders, did not appear, because it was realised that it was impossible to produce them at .£lO each, as was done.in America. The representatives of the workers stated that they were satisfied it was not intended to increase the cost of products to the consumer. Nor were they tryiug to increase their wages. Some-of the best Otago ■ ironworkers had scarcely worked six months in the year. All parties in. an industry wero agreed in asking £or protection. Tho Hon. T. Mackenzie (in reply) stated .that mining and agricultural machinery, had for years been imported iree o] duty, and it would he necessary to prov< to the farmer that in the lons run h< would benefit from protection of tho iroi industry. Certain industries natural t< a country could be with advantage de veloped under protection, as woollei manufacture demonstrated. Hβ was not ii a. position to speak with equal confident as to the success of the bootmaking in dustry- under protection. He did no think bad trade would continue, even ii tho .iron industry. A careful view o competing, countries justified him in say ing that two such dull years as hai just been experienced would not be re peated for a long. time. "I will," add ed the -. Minister, "lay before the Govern ment your. requests, and during t,ho re cess endeavour, through tho Industrie and Commerce Department, .to get a much information as possible on the sul; j.ect." '