ORGY OF WASTE BLAMED

Hokitika Guardian, 22 August 1931, Page 8

ORGY OF WASTE BLAMED

PRESENT DEPRESSION. ■. . V AVOOLLEN MANUFACTURER’S OPINION. WELLINGTON, August 19. Mr W. H. P- Barber, chairman of the Wellington Woollen Manufacture g stated: Iu my opinion the ordinary type of unemployment,,is reducible, in large degree, by any Government courageous enough to stop or greatly reduce the dumping of goods of no real intrinsic value. I have on several previous occasion's strongly advocated such a course as being- a good deal better than putting up ad valoiem duties ” Speaking as head of a large New Zealand manufacturing concern, Mr W. H. P. Barber, chairman of the Wellington Woollen Manufacturing Company, addressed those remarks to shareholders at the annual meeting. < “1 do not wish to detail again, as .1 have done so frequently,” continued Mr Barber, “the enormous quantity of goods that, need not be brought here, but I will repeat that if one-third of the value of imported woollens were ordered in the Dominion all the existing mills would he running to capacity. I am glad to know that there is a well directed campaign at present urging greater support for New Zea-land-made articles, and, should converts not stop at lip service, the people here ought to benefit greatly h.v the tardy effort to correct the past mistakes of shutting out many of the rising generation from obtaining suitable work. The importance of support foy local industry has been brought home to many by the unhappy state of trade, which is teaching rather painfully an elementary lesson in econ omics ” RUSSIA’S EFFORT. In this connection, Air Barber mentioned an item of news from London regarding what is called (the ‘iSoviet Suit Scandal.” He said ; “Three-piece suits, copied from English mod'. Is, are arriving at a cost of 5s 6d. The first shipments were a failure, being wrong fn cut and style, but the agents sent back samples of British suits, fabric patterns, size charts, etc., which were copied by the Soviet clothing factories. The paper quoted from states: ‘One suit 1 saw, a three-piece affair, in no way skimped, was being offered to the ! wholesale trade at 5s 6d a suit. An agent selling on a 5 per cent, eoinnrssion showed me isome three-piece tweeds, fully lined with cheap cotton, at 8r 6d, and with a better finish at 10s 6d.’

“The editor, in commenting, saul : •Russia has now been’ added d finitely 10, the list of Continental countries exporting suits to this market at prices piot" l suggestive of neck-ties than

clothing.' 'M'realise that it all depends on th» business one is engaged in as to the point of view one takes; and as we are manufacturers; T think that the products of sweated (labour should bo barred from the country. The remedy suggested in London is in the direction Of safeguarding. AN ILLUSTRATION.

“As an illustration of how local industry could be made to benefit, l give an example. Take a mann'aeturer with, say, a. wages bill of £160,000, a year, employing 1000 person at an average of £3 a week, and an indentor with an adequate spaiF for all he does (as the goods are not handled by him) a cost of £IOOO a year, who' can sell as much stuff to be brought in the country for that expenditure as the local manufacturer could produce, which would be better for the country: 500 manufacturers (which New Zealand some day could easily support), employing say, 500,000 persons, or 500 indentors booking orders and employing 1000 persons? Those engaged in overseas factories to manufacture the indented goods are, of course, no lielo to New Zealand, but' they arg beng kept there at our,expense.”