Marlborough Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 1880.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 108, 2 April 1880, Page 2

Marlborough Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 1880.

The Royal Commission to enquire into and report upon the local industries of the Colony is amongst the most important of the numerous Commissions appointed last session. The developement and encourgaernent of local manufactures are calculated to promote the national wealth as much as the pursuit of agriculture and the settlement of the people on the land. The rising generation of New Zealand is being educated for the most part in the ordinary branches of learning at the expense of the State, but it appears almost as necessary to supplement this book learning

by teaching how to convert the natural products of the soil into valuable commodities and thus increase the national and individual wealth and happiness. This cannot be done without the establishment of local manufactures. If the country is bound to teach the young to read and write, which is admitted by the policy of national education now pursued, it is equally bound to foster local industries and thus enable our young men to be skilled artizans and manufacturers. Let us take the case of two countries, each having a large quantity of raw material, of which a neighboring country has none, and that this material was capable of being converted by skilled labor into a valuable manufactured article, can it be contended that if one of these two nations by a little sacrifice, educates its people to manufacture this article, or in other words, fosters this local industry, until its factories are established, its people trained, and its business relations extended, that it not only has bneefitted its people, but also makes the successful competition of its neighbour next to impossible against it. The only use its freetrade neighbor could make of the raw material would be to sell it in its raw, unimproved condition to the more enterprising protectionist. The difference in price gained by home labor in converting cheap raw material into marketable products ; the educational value of the skilled labor itself, and its accompanying comforts to the working classes ; and the self-reliant position which a people can assume who are independent of foreign manufactures, especially of essentials, are amongst the beneficial results calculated to be derived from the pursuit of such a policy as we have indicated, whicli is the policy of moderate protectionists of the present day. This was the policy pursued by England until she had obtained such a leading position as a manufacturing country, that she was able to fly the flag of free trade; and so should we he here probably if we had half a century to look back upon, during which we had our manufactories and trade relations established, but as a young country our first duty is self-preservation, and the careful looking after our own interests whilst striving to follow in the footsteps of other nations eminent in skilled labor, such as Eugland, France Belgium, and the United States. We do not altogether admire the present system of delegation to Royal Commissions, but to this one on Local Industries we would call the attention of the people of Marlborough as being of great importance. A circular,has been issued by this Commission, of whicli the Mayor of Blenheim has received a copy as follows -

“ Wellington, Mar. 17th, ’BO. “ Sir, —lam directed by the Royal Com* mission on Local Industries to inform you that the Commission would be happy to re* ceive from you any information regarding the local industries or manufactures in the district of Marlborough, together with any suggestions that may occur to you for establishing new or promoting existing industries. “The Commission would be obliged by an answer addressed to the Chairman, at Timaru, before the 16th April.—l have the honor, etc., “Edward Wakefeld, “ Chairman. “ His Worship the Mayor, Blenheim.” No more important question has ever been referred to the intelligence of a community. Every one who un : derstands anything of the subject, or has any suggestion to make, should avail himself of the opportunity offered, and give his Worship the Mayor the benefit of his experience, whatever it may be. By this means, information which may be of much value, and tend to contribute to the future prosperity of these favored Islands, may be brought under the consideration of. the Commission, and Parliament next session.