OUR INDUSTRIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 301, 16 September 1919, Page 6

OUR INDUSTRIES

ANNUAL MEETING OF WELLINGTON INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION TARIFF REVISION AND MANUFACTURES The annual meeting of tho Wellington Industrial Association was held in tho association's room last ovoning, Mr. H. Mainland (president) occupying tho chair.

In tho annual report tho committee referred to tho industrial outlook. "Wo havo repeatedly claimed," said the committee, "that millions of pounds' worth of goods imported into our Dominion from Germany and Austria could have beon just as well manufactured in our own country. AVo repeat that wo should become a manufacturing country. For many years past deputations representing the Industrial Associations and the Industrial Corporation of New Zealand havo waited upon successive Prime Ministers and other Ministers advocating the expansion of the Dorain ion's resources, and tho appointment of a Department of Manufacturing Industrios, and the absolute necessity of hydroelectric power has been emphasised. The manufacturers and others in tho Wellington district are greatly interested in the prosecution of tho Mangahao hydro-electric scheme, as it is from that source that they will receive tho power. A league called the Mangahao HydroElectric Power League was fomicd at Palmerston North about two years ago, and great interest was taken in it by tho Industrial Association and chambers of commerce and other bodies. It car. bo claimed that owing to the combined activity theA Government made a commencement with the initial work, and it is hoped that tho -work will bo fully completed and power obtainable in, say, three years from now. Made in New Zealand.

"Under tho heading of 'Fostering Local Industries/ tho.lndustries Committee refers to regrettablo facts disclosed to it, proving that there does exist a prejudice- against many of the articles manufactured in our Dominion. We have many times referred to this extraordinary prejudice, and the Industrial Associations by means of exhibitions and industries week (shop displays .of Aew Zealand-made goods) tried to romoyo that prejudice. Yet we have read lately in the newspapers published in our Dominion that nothing has been done in. this direction. We havo before stated that we consider it is tho duty of every worker, and this term is in the fullest sense, should ask for Now Zealand-inado articles. Let a well-known advertisement be remembered, which states: Ask for a certain article, and see that you gß "Eecently a sub-committe waited upon tho Headmasters' Association, and pleaded that schoolmasters should instruct the boy and girl pupil in the importance of the Dominion's manufactures, and so to get them interested and to acquire a desire to enter our factories, rather than that so many should, as at present, want to follow office pursuits. Especially anxious should we bo to have the door to 'Blind Alley' occupations closed as. effectively as possible. As one result of the interview .with the headmasters, it has been suggested that an information bureau should bo established as between the • association and the Headmasters' Association.- Members will be asked to notify our secretary of the number of youths or girls they require in their factories, and the information can be passed on to the Headmasters Association with a view of the pupils about to leave school hearing of the opportunities for employment offered. The schoolmasters would bo able to judge what calling their pupils would bo best to follow. , „ „ Technical College. "Now that the site for the new; technical college has at last been decided on it is hoped that an early commencement with the new building may be made. The association still allows the free use of its industrial hall to the Technical College Board. When the Technical College Department leaves tho present building, if not before, the question of our association's join interest in tho building will have to be decided. Tho balance-sheet for the year ended August 31 showed that tho assets totalled .£1273 9s. 7d., including war loan • investments and-accrued interest, representing £1248 10s. Tho excess or income over expenditure was £11 js. uU.

Report Discussed. In moving tho adoption of tho report the president said he was more than pleased with the way things were going. They had not attained all they desired during the. repatriation period, but perhaps that was hardly to bo expected under the circumstances. When ho had taken the presidency he had promised to do his best, and with the aid of tin, Standing Committee and the otticers- no had been able to get through fairly satisfactorily. One of tho chief things they and the industrial Corporation had advocated was the appointment of a Minister of Industries, and it looked now. as it thev were within measurable distance oi achieving that. He also referred to the establishment of a State bank so strongly., advocated by' Mr. C. J. Ward, which wa#a. matter that must be kept before the" Ministers. . ', ~ .. Mr E. Bull, in seconding tho motion, c a id that the association had done good work in advocating a revisal of the Customs tariff. Ho did not think that the tariff would be revised this year, but thero were likely to be romc amendments of tho Customs Act, which would bring about some changes. What had happened in the war period had done a goofl deal to overcomo the prejudice against the -'locally-made goods. Some of them had been caught on the hop, but on the whole he thought they had managod to supply tho wants- of tlie public very Mr P W. Vickerman said that there was one thing they had to bo tremendously proud of, and hat was that tho had been able to feed and clothe 110,000 overseas men. He drew attention to the differences in the tariff in Australia and New Zealand (in favour of the former) shown in the Industrie? Commissions report, and said that it wag largely due to tho existence of tho Australian Natives' Association. He said that the manufacturers in New Zealand had not exploited the public. Many of thorn to his knowledge had made less V«ftjwill" tho war than before it. Ho thought it was a pity the report had mentioned tho proposal to change tho name of tlio association to the Chamber of Manufac'"mT'C J Ward said he did not think much of tho Industries' Committee's reSort, and after analysing it very carefully ho put it down as the work of amateurs, and a great den o ™ < would have to be done before anything practicable was achieved. SpeaUnß about his own trade, he pointed out that he price of hides had gone up 80 pa cent tho tanner had advanced Jim n™ cs from 42 to 43 per cent., and the manufacturer from 11 to 35 per cent., so that tho manufacturer hod not had a foir share of the increased prices and in that thev had done their duty through evar period. He said that the prices o hides in America were now ns high m oso realised by the whole beast 0 yean ago. That was not caused by anyone n the trade, but by speculators, who ™ into 11.0 business and made a lo of money by "regulating" tho supply nH d°mand. . , , . ~ air L R Partridge referred to the munificent f>ht the association had alimf up o°n behalf of tho WeW ngton 'Icchn'ea! College, and he was pleased to learn that at last they were to get their new college. Ho also referred, to tho new constitution of ho Technical Board, and pointed out that, after Ihn Education Board and City Council had nlccled their six members each, only one member was to represent all the. other bodies which had hitherto been renresentcd by one member. Tho one member was lo bo returned on the voting power as represented bv monetary contributions, and that being bo tho Industries' Association's candidate was almost bound to bo * tfected. . , , , ~ , „. Mr T. Ballingcr pointed out that somo of them had waited on tho Minister of •Education last week to pro est against the new constitution, but Sir l'rnncis Bell had said that ho could not make any alteration'this year. He had been represented as faying that he favoured the election of the board by tho people.

What ho had said was that ho favoured election by the peoplo who paid tho money. As a mattor of fact tlio Act had been badly administered for somo years past, and in Canterbury, any body could be represented on payment of an annual subscription of J!2 25., with tho result that every little body was represented, and the board had become a very largo one. Canterbury had been to hlhmo for tho chango that was being brought about. Tbo election was, to take placo this month. Officers Elected. The report and balance-sheet wero adopted. The officers elected for the onsuing year were a 9 follow:—President, Mr. E. Mainland; vice-presidents, Messrs. C. J. Ward and F. Vosseller; treasurer, Mr. E. J. Hardie-Shaw; auditor, Mr. A. T. Qarko; General Committee, Messrs. T. Ballingcr, Ji. Bull, F. C. Crease, F. J. Evans, J. P. Luke, A. C. Mitchell, L. B. Partridge, P. M'WlumneM, W. Cable, B. MappleIjcck, W. Jackson, E. E. Stonebnnks, W. Grav Young, C. N. Cathie, M. M'Lay, C. B. Norwood, F. House, G. W. Slnde, Lr F. Watkins, .T. Menzies, M. Manthel, and F. W. Vickermnn; Standing Committee, Messrs. C. J. Ward. F. Vosseller, F. J. Evans, and C. B. Norwood.

On the motion of Mr. T. Bnllinger, h vote of thanks was passed to tho Standing Comanittee.