INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2687, 17 November 1882, Page 4

INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

An ordinary meeting of the committee ■of this association was held last evening ; Mr A. G. Howland (president) in the chair. A letter was road from Mr Wynn-Williams •suggesting that the statistics furnished by ~M> Tinline with reference to the inland and East Coast lines of railway, should be published in the newspapers. Mr Williams also desired to be elected a member of the assoeiation.

Mr B. J. Shanks, manager of the Kaiapoi Woollen Factory, forwarded his resignation as a member of the committee, on the ground of his inability to attend the meetings. His resignation was accepted with xegret, and MrW. S. Smith was nominated to fill his place. A letter was read from Mr J. P. Jamieson, asking the association to give its assistance towards Now Zealand being represented at the Industrial Exhibition to Be held in Amsterdam in May, 18S3. It was decided to urge upon the Government the desirability of sending specimens of the -natural products of the colony to the exhibition.

The secretary to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board wrote stating that the hospital committee had made no recommendation yet respecting a new cooking apparatus, and that the resolution forwarded by the association would receive careful attention. A letter was read from Mr T. Doyle, lithographic printer, asking the association to ascertain the views of those engaged in the lithographic printing business on the causes of depression in the trade. He attributed the depression to the fact that the Government supplied their own work, and that the Banks and other large institutions imported all that they required. The letter was referred to a committee. Mr W. Hooper wrote inti mating his intention of publishing a weekly newspaper of the character of an Industrial Gazette, and asking the association for its support. It was decided that the association should give the publication its moral support. Mr J. S. M. Jacobsen wrote urging that the association should see that the proposal to offer a bonus for the discovery of diamonds in New Zealand was not shelved, as he was confident that diamonds existed in the country. The Chairman said ho had seen some of the diamonds found by Mr Jacobsen, and thought the Government should be urged to offer a bonus. Mr King thought that if ho knew where a diamond field existed, he would work it without waiting for a bonus. After a long discussion it was resolved, on the motion of Mr H. J. Ross —“That Mr Jacobsen be requested to supply more explicit information before the association can take action, and that the president and Messrs Sandstein and Reese he a sub-committee to confer with him with a view to assisting him.” Some verbal reports were received from sub-committees. Mr Wynn Williams was elected a member of the association. The Chairman reported that lie had attended the Railway Convention on behalf of the association, and- that the movement was a great success, and ho hoped would materially assist towards the construction of the West Coast railway. Prom what he had heard he thought the Commission might be induced to abandon the East Coast route, hut that they would recommend the central Toute. The secretary read the resolutions passedat the meeting of the Convention. The Chairman explained what had been done at the first meeting of the committee of the League, and mentioned the names of several members of the association bad been added to the committee. He hoped the association would co-oporato with the League in every legitimate manner, and he suggested that they should all join its ranks with that object. Mr England thought it hardly likely that the President could have heard sufficient to induce him to suppose that any particular line had yet been determined upon by the Commission. The President explained that he had received information to justify him in saying what ho did. He did not say that it came from the Commission. Mr Pilliet was elected a member of the association. At the suggestion of the chairman an article published in a recent number of the “ Lyttelton Times” on the subject of the manufacture of machinery, and headed ''Exhibition

Lessons,” was read to the meeting, and also an article from the last number of tfio “ Industrial Gazette” containing a eulogistic reference to the proceedings of the association. Mr Banks drew attention to the system of judging adopted at the last Agricultural Show, from which he said many colonial industries suffered. In many instances the judges were not efficient, and in others they had not sufficient time, and had too many classes to judge. In many departments, notably beer, bonedust, and ranges, the work was necessarily done in a most perfunctory manner. He thought the matter might be taken up by the Association with a view to bringing about an improvement in this matter. The judges had acted for years, but it was time there was a change. The President agreed with Mr Banks, and referred to complaints made about the bonedust awards. Mr England remarked upon the importance of this subject, and suggested that Mr Banks should bring it up at next meeting. Mr H. J. Kirk believed the Agricultural Association were anxious themselves to effect some improvement, which they admitted was rendered necessary by the rapid increase of the colonial industries. After some remarks from Mr Eoese, the subject dropped. The committee then adjourned for a fortnight.