1 Ijiutitiuattt KwUil. TUE3D.VY, FEBRUARY 22, 1881. LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

Manawatu Herald, 22 February 1881, Page 2

1 Ijiutitiuattt KwUil. TUE3D.VY, FEBRUARY 22, 1881. LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

No question is moie iinportuut to (lie colony just now than. How can we open up new and develop exiatiuj? industries. Our labour market is overstocked, and to retain the men in the country who ate willing to work but oannot obtain it we must transform them iuto producers, either as masters or servants. The first and easiest remedy that suggests itself is to settle them on the waste lands of the Crown, but unfortunately every person takiug up land with the view of obtaining a living from it must be possessed of at least a moderate amouut of capital, and this fact is an insuperable difticuKy to the absorption of the unemployed by their settlement on land. Undoubtedly a liberal land law is calculated to draw persons possessed of m -derate capital from the towns into the oouutry districts, thus making room in the centres of population lor some out of employment, but such 1 a proc-ss of reieviag the labour marnet would be of necessity Very slow. What the country ueeda in addition to the settlement of the waste lands is some means of absorbing labour which will nol only employ men, but will employ them on industries which will keep money in the colony that is now aeut out of it. Colouial industries and settlement must go hand in baud. It is doubti'u- if sufficient attention has ever been p.ud to these two great means of advancing the country. During the last fe.v years the settlement of land h\B occupied .considerable attention, and there are indications of greater judgment being displayed in the future in throwing open the Crown lands for selection or sale. So far, however, as industries ai*e concerned, we are only beginuiug to wake up. A R jyal ('omuiiaaion certaiuly was appointed to investigate the matter, but beyond gatheriug a quantity of useful infor OAt'W they bfw 4q»« aiwoit aotfe*

ing. We notice, indeed, that tho Govcrnuaeuii have oiierccl a number of bonuses (referred to in another column), for sng.tr, sLlc, sulphuric • acid, earthenware, linseccl oil.oil cake, and starch ; but thcrfe nro not the products to which the greatest prominence shotiid b • given, and for a simple reason. There is very little probd llifcy oi the houuaen being claimed. All the article.; mentioned require for their production expousivo machinery, and a heavy outhiy for buildings, &c.,. necessitating the employment of a large amount of capital. Now, while cipitalUts crn obtain 8 and 10 per cent, by aimply lendiug th ir money, they ara uoc likely to put it into enterprises of such a doubtful c lartioter as a sulphuric acid or starch factory. The bonuses should be given for industries that require ouly a small capital, as a multiplicity of small industries is better than a few great ones. We should have been glad t j see bonuses offered for the production of such articles as tinned Hsu, pickles, jama, sauces, and articles of that class, the bonus to be payable only when it was shown that sales had been effected of a certain quantity, and representing a fixed value. It is certain that now the importance of colonial industries as a means of advancing the country and keeping both money aud population within it are forcing themselves on public attention, the colonists will insist upon Parliament devoting more • fits attention to the promotion of industries, as being equally important to the progress of the country as the opening up of laud by roads or railways. Why should there not be a Department of Industries, the duty of which would be to collect and disseminate such information as would tend to promote the growth of manufactures, agriculture, mining, and all oti«er branches of industry calculated to keep money in the country, and to open up new channels for the distribution aud employment of capital? We think sucii a Department, if presided over by a permanent head competent for the position, would be likely to achieve v-st benefits to the country.