GOVERNMENT TENDERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 225, 17 June 1919, Page 6

GOVERNMENT TENDERS

LOCAL MANUFACTURERS' COMPLAINT

THE IMPORTER FAVOURED

The custom of tho Government in calling tenders for' supplies was referred to in a letter from tlie Canterbury Industrial Association which, vas before the: Wellington Industrial Association lasfc> night.- .. It-was, stated in the letter the Public Service ' Supplies Board, in calling tenders for tho various items required, conditions which favoured the importer as against the local manufacturer, although many of the goods required could be, and. were, actually made in New Zealand. 'Principal among the grievances' of the local .manufacturer was that

.while the local manufacturer had to pay materials for manufacture, *" ; the'goods brought in by the importer, '".'■whose tender was acceptedj came in.free .-!.]'. of Customs' duty. ■'~;. Mr. A. C. Mitchell said that the opinTibris expressed by tho secretary of the ,'. Canterbury Industrial Association were those generally held byi manufacturers in New Zealand. The letter and the correspondence dealt principally with the engineering trade. Mr. Mitchell agreed that, the conditions were .unreasonable, and that it was practically certain that ..•'.the. goods imported would not comply with the' conditions. On / the other 'hand the New Zealand manufacturer would have to comply literally with ... them. • ..As the conditions were made •inoro severe, so would the difficulties of the New Zealand manufacturer increase. The time allowed was always sufficient . .''to,allow the importer to get his finished i product from overseas, but not sufficient 'to allow the New Zealand manufacturer '.. \ to get out his raw materials and their •to make them up. Also, tho New Zealand manufacturer was to the bad by the amount of tho Customs duties, for .no rebate could bo obtained of duties paid on raw material. This was a mat)ter crying aloud for 'redress, and was certainly a matter on which representations ought to be made'to the Govern- . ment by the association. He confessed, however, that he could .not see how the reform was to' be obtained while political parties were in their present. posi,,.tiom. 'There were hundreds' of. cases '/.which'might be indicated in'wliich the ' tariff favoured the importer as against the local manufacturer. Speaking as a who was also an importer, he said that his firm could not think of •tendering on the specifications submit- ;.'< ted. One of the poitats he made was , : that the Government favoured man-made articles, as against the machine-made, and this for no good reasons. At tho present high labour' costs the manufacturer could compete only by the use of machines.' 'New Zealand manufacturers ;!mkl the necessary machines, and '• the .'goods made by them were quite as good as could be made by hand. Tho Ironmasters' Association had had the matter before them, and they supported everything submitted by the, Canterbury Aa- :'- ' Bociation. ; ' '■" ''':' Mr. W. H. Mainland said that in view ' : of the statement that machines were in New Zealand suitable for making the • goods required (in this instanco, bolts), ond that the machines could make them better than they could be made by hand, it was quite clear that some steps ought to be taken to bring the matter before the authorities. He asked for a resolution supporting the Canterbury representations.

.";;,. 'Mr. Mitchell moved ' accordingly : that '*;'■'i'thp Canterbury' Association be informed " r that' the" Wellington ; Association would' support them in any sction that might .-.•' be taken to secure the. reforms desired.

The resolution was carried unanimously. ; . •.,"''