THE INDUSTRIAL YEAR

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1863, 24 September 1913, Page 10

THE INDUSTRIAL YEAR

SUMMARY FOR 1913.

BY WELLINGTON ASSOCIATION

Tho annual report of the Wellington Industrial Association states, inter alia :—"lt has been said that our amount of exports in excess of our imports [or the past year is satisfactory, but what of our manufactures. J Though some of our manufacturers have little to complain of, thcro are many of our industries which call for improvement. One source from which our manufac-. hirers look for a remedy is by the Customs tariff. .It must be admitted that considering tlio rate of wages which have to bo paid by our manufacturers, and tlio shorter number of hours which the worker works in the Dominion, as compared with tho conditions in other countries, added to which is the expense of necessary importation of a considerable amount of niw material, that tlio existing Customs tariff is in many cases inadequate. The call for Customs revision would, however, not be so necessary if our ojvn people, public bodies, etc., wero to show a patriotic spirit, which surely can be fairly claimed, and yet, is lacking. Wc can manufacture practically everything required in the Dominion, yet our imports arc altogether excessive. Public bodies, in many-cases, accept tenders for English and foreign manufactures, rather than pay a few.' pounds more tlian would bo the cost jf what was required were manufactured hero by our own people, and notwithstanding the fact that tho extra, amounts go to the workers,_ and notrto tlie employers. It. is satisfactory\to note that the Minister for Customs, the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, M.P., has devoted considerable time since lie took up his portfolio, in gaining reliable information regarding the condition of our industries, and he intends to brinpc before Parliament a Customs Tariff Amendment Bill. Manufacturers and Wages. , "Our manufacturers are brought face to face continually with the demand for higher wages, and tho reason assigned for such claim is—increased cost of living. Now our farmers arc having good times, and everybody will admit the first importance of our primary industries, but' good times for our farmers arc tlio result of increased cxportations of meat, butter, -cheese, .etc., which is followed by "a diminished supply of such articles for homo consumption, with the natural result of higher prices for same hero. It has been said before, and may bo repeated, that ,no country will ever become great 'which alone depends upon its agricultural resources. "In spito of increases in wages, thcro is a shortage of skilled labour in tho Dominion. The matter of shortage of labour was takou tip by tlio Govern* nicnt, and Mr. J. W. Collins, of tho Government Labour Department, was appointed to inquire into the matter. Reference, to his findings are recorded in the annual report of the Department of Labour, laid before Parliament on tho 2nd inst. Royal Commission. Members' of the Dominion's Royal Commission sat in Wellington in March last, and subsequently in othtr cities in the Dominion, and from witnesses who appeared'before them, .gathered considerable evidence as concerning tho conditions of our industries, shortage of skilled labour, and labour matters generally, etc. It would seem irom what was stated by members of the Commission, that there is even a shortage of skilled workers in England at the present time. It has been stated in our Dominion that the high wages paid to unskilled labourers has had much to do with tho shortage in the,ranks of skilled workers. If. this is so, oppor-, tunity should bo taken to placo cvidenc2 beforo tho Arbitration Court. Second Patent Slip. "It is satisfactory to bo able to report that a sccond patent slip is about to be built for the shipping trade of our port. It is a matter for regiet that Wellington has not a dock. Tho want of a dock was sadly exemplified recently when tlio big ocean liner Indrabarhah went ashore near Rangitikei. It was necessary that tlio steamer bo dockcd, but owing to a lack of slip accommodation she had to proceed on to ,Port Clialmers. Repairs costing several thousands of pounds have been attended to there. Agitation for a Wellington dock should certainly bo continued, iu spite of the rcccnt failuro to build one here, i

Depreciation on Machinery. "AVe have pleasure in reporting that Mr. A. T. Clarke, A.C.A., together witli our secretary, accompanied a deputation of ironmasters which recently waited upon the Minister for Finance, tho Hon. J.- Allen, M.P. Hitherto, tlio Income Tax Department lias only allowed 5 per cent, to-be annually written off the half value of machinery. As a result of tho interview with tho Hon. J. Allen, 31.P., the Income Tax Commissioner will iii future allow 5 per cent, to be annually written off the full value of machinery, and the balance (as hitherto) to Tie" written off when "scrapped." This is an important concession which all who use machinery will realise and appreciate. Balance-sheet. Tho balance-sheet for the year shows a loss of £10 7s. od. Tho accumulated" funds of the association stands at £1301 9s. (id. Tho report and balance-sheet were adopted tlio annual general meeting of the# 'association held last evening/ 1