HELP THE MOTHERLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 7 January 1926, Page 1

HELP THE MOTHERLAND

“THEY WANT EVERY ORDER

WELLINGTON, Jan. 5

Just, another instance of why New Zealanders should support the Motherland in trade is given by Mr C ! . J< McKenzie, Assistant Engineer-in-Chiet of the Public Works Department, who yesterday returned from a nine months’ trip abroad in the interests of the department, and who tells of tho stagnation in the iron and steel trades in England. Mr McKenzie left New Zealand to investigate modern methods and practices in engineering as carried out in America, Great Britain, and the Continent, and their application to New Zealand conditions. While in these countries lie particularly examined the question of tunnelling machinery, highway construction, and finance, railway construction, and the systems in vogue for .regulating competition lietween motor-’buses and trams. Ihe results of his investigations will be .tho subject of a report to the Minister. Mr J. R. Marks, district engineer, Dunedin, accompanied Mr McKenzie to America to investigate irrigation problems, particularly in California, and to gather information in regard to highway engineering. WANT EVERY ORDER.

The general engineering and steel industry in Britain, said Mr McKenzie, was in a very bad way, and firms were at their wits’ ends to get,orders to keep going. “They van. do with every order wo can give them from New Zealand,” he said. “If they desired to Help the Mother Country through her difficulties, New Zealand firms could not do better than place orders for their requirements at Home. British Industrialists recognised that New Zealand bad helped Britain a very great deal, and for this they were grateful: and they were never more in need of our practical support than at the present moment. Numerous inquiries were being received at the High Commissioner’s Office from British engineering firms as to the prospects of getting orders from tho Dominion. LOCAL RATES HIGH.

“They wanted all they could get. As an instance of the stagnation in the iron and steel industry, Mr McKenzie mentioned that one big firm which turned out steel rails was only running with three out of its twelve roller mills. Mr McKenzie noted that matters were not so dull in the motor and electrical engineering trades, and both appeared to be doing fairly well. He visited the Motor Show at Olympia, and was struck with the very fine display of British-made cars. Owing to the general stringency through which the Old Country was

passing, the local rating was very high, in some eases, amounting to as much as 23s in the £l. General taxation, too, was at a high level, and pressed very heavily on some people. AMERICA' AND THE CONTINENT. While in the United States. Air McKenzie noted that there was a general air of prosperity there, and no

lack of money. In fact, the latest, geographical-financial conundrum was “Where is the capital of England-” the answer being. “In America.” Canada, too, appeared to be fairly prosperous, but the picture was wholly different when one reached England. Continental countries, said Air McKenzie, were passing through times of financial difficulty, and this meant that conditions were not always overatrrnctivo for tourists.