CAN AUGHT BE DONE?

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1022, 11 January 1911, Page 6

CAN AUGHT BE DONE?

FOR ENGINEERING. THE PLIGHT .OF THE TRADE. - . Oismal indeed was the picture of the angineering trade painted", to a' reporter, yesterday by Mr. D- Robertson, president of tha local Ironfouiid«rs'...'Association. TJi'e chief- question of course-is:-What is to be done? , A comprehensive .organisation,of employers'and workers.'.is talked of 'ti>'.seonfc some'mepsure of .protection. , .-"-Threi-quarters «f'the machines in our shopsjire'idle," said-Mr. Robertson,."and a. great lirihiber of. engineers have left the cbrintry. ,1 am": coistanlly-gettingi.let-t«r;>".from -young .-New. Zealanders now located in ' various "parts of - the", world,' some of- them-.in' America aiid s'ouie at Home, who learned their-'trade; here, ;but, had to go .abroad', on. completing their" training". Many of: thorn 1 are first-class men who h6ld- good' positions ashore and afloat. They are a uig loss. to their country; ."On-the other hand, not a steamer comes to' Now - -Zealand but" a. lot "of gear is, ISnded on" the wharyes which could" be made "'quite' as. well' here if we had', the protection -we' need against competition baseil on ..cheap labour in foreign countries. Hero we: have -to-pay,the highest wages, our men ,work l the- shortest hours, qjid we"cami"6t look';at'the' Germans, or th«-:Aiiencans either; It. is'like tying your .hands and asking you to .fight . a man. ;The Americans'prefer to manufacture; on ''TheyVknow- exactly what goods l will cost, 'and'the meii' put fdr.thi their -best' efforts and earn good. ,wages." "Germany, is a'.cjieap labour country,' and a country, of long hours. All this is very, wrpng,"'Mr. son* continued. "The engineering industry is' absolutely- essential to L tho' good development' of, a country. .The sooner we be.comei a self-supporting country; the. betThe extension of our dairying, freezing, woollen, ' and ' other industries can only be!; effectively ■ carried out with\the assistance of engineering." . For. a ■ moment - Mr.Robertson - turned, aside to refer to. the (..bearing, that"-the, development! of the engineering industry has on defence preparation. ' ".Why," ihe said,-"we could not make _ a rifle, anything -in-';the' shape,'of . a'.,big.i gunv.is,.: out. of. the. question, and "iii 1 -.-'thei'';,matter;''of repairing warships we could deal only with small craft.' . v -

• Mr. Robertson laid.stress'on:the,'argumerit .that- if the construction of machinery.' were . entrusted to local- hands: the work* would-be performed ; better, and in the end more economically , than by for-eign-.suppliers. -' , •''■ "Tako the .manufacture of , ranges-in ■New. Zealand,". .he said, illustrating- his> p6int.' "The local article has. completely ibeaton the rango .manufactured' abroad, fbe'eause tho local manufacturer knows ex-. !-a6tly. the article .that. is wanted. If the. 'general industry ■ were once firmly established, the same .would .apply. The consumer.' would . have to pay. no more than 'at' rpresent,.' arid ' the ' farmer -would get 'his boiler and Bis separator, just 'as cheap.lySa's' he'd&es : no.w,. '.Competition among .'local; manufacturers would 'serve to keep ttie.'prices! at .'a proper level." . ' 'Asanpther instance of local efficiency triumphing over 1 the disabilities incidental. to- foreign- 'competition.' ■ Mr., Robertson, cited; the- manufacture, of .agricultural im-' .pleme'nts in'Otago arid Canterbury.' Success in'this,c»se had .been, attained siriiply because' thevloqal' article suited the farmer '-Tar better. tnari' imported" machinery:'- -The .'New' - Zealand manufacturer studied the requirements of his customers on'"the spot, .'arid , by 'meeting.-them' iri'tellißeritly. was enabled -to - successfully , compete' outsiders. '- .In. Australia, Mr.> Robertson continued, '.an agricultural (implement industry, had- ari&ri' on similar, -lines,' arid' had so prospered as 'to develop into' an ..'cxpdr.t .trade."'.Mpriy"\A.u4traliau implements ,Svere : 'now exported : to. ■ 'the 'Argentine," chiefly from Victoria'.- "■

•Reverting'tn 'a general survey' of the'.in'dustry, Mr.. Robertson stated that there 'had been a steady decline during.the,past ■'ten years. -Men arid'masters, at a conference which-assembled 'in November last, ihad' agreed to 'work amicably together. in: . seeking.-the tariff/protection desired'arid' ■- a-g?nerar encouragement of New. Zealand engineering enterprise. The Government in-a: giiea,t many, caSes of engineering 'coii4', : tracts; specified ' that local manufactures should,' as-far as possible, bo given'the [preference, but they still sent large f abroadV-' ' ' ,One .thing that tho united .trade, would j ask public , m'oney, . particularly ! when' spent by" local bodies; should be so ••expended as to encourage local industries Wo the fullest extent. 1 Iri this connection t*Mr. Robertsbn- 'mentioned that although (local Ijodies sometimes obtained plant and •machinery froin-'abroad' cheaper, than"it •could'be bought locally; it did not always .prove cheaper in the end. The cost of .rej pairing' .'an imported article .was: fre'quentl.v much, greater than in tho cksc of la machine" locally made, and; often' this 'factor more than counter-balanced ~the' original saving in'cost.;: ■ ■■ ' ["