The Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. MONDAY, JUNE 28, 1920. PRACTICAL PATRIOTISM.

Southland Times, Issue 18860, 28 June 1920, Page 4

The Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. MONDAY, JUNE 28, 1920. PRACTICAL PATRIOTISM.

The conference of industrial associations that sat in Dunedin a little while ago launched a “forward movement” which bids fair to take shape energetically and to give the people of the dominion an opportunity of learning more about their country's capabilities than they seem to know. -As part of this plan the Auckland Industrial Association has suggested the publication of a New Zealand Manufacturers' Journal, a monthly dealing with dominion-made goods. We will be pleased to welcome the appearance of a publication of this sort as part of an educational campaign. In the past there have been in various part of New Zealand spasmodic efforts for the education of New Zealand purchasers to the advantages of buying goods made by their fellow citizens. Usually these attempts to throw the limelight of publicity upon New Zealand manufacturers have taken the form of “Industries Weeks,” and at times sectional exhibitions, but the campaign has lacked continuity and general scope. The war, by cutting us off from some outside manufacturers, served to open the eyes of the people to the possibilities of local industries and it is not too much to say that the New Zealander was surprised by the achievements of his own country. Now that the war is over and firms in other parts of the world are able to put their goods on to our markets, there is a danger that the purchaser will fall back into his old ways and re-adopt the old illogical and unpatriotic cry that a particular article cannot be good because it has been made in New Zealand. It is a severe criticism of our intelligence and our patriotism to know—and the matter has been proved to us times without number — that in certain lines New Zealand-made articles have been disguised by the use of foreign sounding trade marks and trade names in order to satisfy this craving for goods made in other lands. Shopkeepers have frequently confessed that a customer who lias rejected a New Zealand-made boot with scorn has rapturously bought a boot turned out by the same firm but bearing a name suggestive of the United States. Apart from the utter foolishness of this procedure, it ’.s a disgrace to us that we should have to be deceived into buying our own country's products. The retailer cannot be blamed. He has to sell his goods and if his customers are pleased to have New Zealand goods in a foreign garb, then he mast dress his windows to attract public attention. It is, however, a stain that should be removed. The Industrial Associations will do well to run their campaign vigorously with a double purpose, the education of the public into buying the products of their own district and of their own country. Where a man buys an article that has been made in his own town he has relieved the railways and the shipping lines of a certain amount of work. The saving to him may he slight, so slight indeed that he may not perceive it, but he has served the double purpose of supporting the industries of his own province and of supporting New Zealand industrial effort. To the Southlander, the first thought that should come into his mind as he enters a. shop to make a purchase is that he should ask for a Southland product. If his province is unable to supply his needs, he should ask for an article turned out by some New Zealand factory. If he is seeking some line that cannot be made in the dominion the Empire lies before him and he should take every' possible care that he does not go outside the Imperial confines for anything that can be produced within them. If he has to go outside the limits of the British Empire he will remember the countries that are the Empire's friends. This is the preferential system that can be adopted by the individual, and it must be remembered that it is in the hands of the individual purchasers that the fate of any system of trade preference must finally rest. The imposition of preferential tariffs through the Customs is designed to place the products of our country before the individual purchaser on an equal or more attractive footing than those of another country. If all of our people could be counted on to see and follow the system of preference that we have outlined above, in spite of the allurements of lower prices made possible by lower wage scales in other lands, there would be no need for stiff protective duties. Wo cannot hope to develop the whole of the public up to that line of conduct, but we can achieve a great deal by the means of continued publicity and continued energy in our manufacturing interests. Encouragement by the public will lead to better results in our factories, and also to improved advantages to the public in the future. The Industrial Associations have launched what is undoubtedly a great project and we hope that this [iart of the country will take it up enthusiastically. Southland goods for Southlanders; New Zealand goods for New Zealanders; and British Empire products for citizens of the Empire!