SHAPING OUR FUTURE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 744, 17 August 1929, Page 7

SHAPING OUR FUTURE

A DECLINE IN INDUSTRY MEANS A DECLINE IN PROSPERITY AND DEPRESSION IN BUSINESS

INSTEAD of forging ahead industrially, New Zealand has been dropping back, and production of wealth in many vital industries has declined. In the engineering trades, the number of breadwinners employed dropped from 5,822 to 5.233 between 1926 and 1928. This meant that 590 skilled workers were forced into unemployment. In 1926 overtime worked, less short time, amounted to 118,000 hours: in 1928 short time worked exceeded overtime by 56,469 hours.

So that not only tvere nearly 600 trained artisans in the most highly skilled of the trades thrown out of jobs, but those lucky enough to keep in work were working short time instead of overtime. There was. consequently, a falling off in engineering production by £291,000, although the assets employed in the industry had increased by some £50,000. That indicates how the employers had enlarged and improved their plants with the object of reducing production costs, only to find reduced production and a heavy slump in the return on the capital invested. THE IMPORTING CRAZE

This decline in engineering production is not due to a drop in the demand for machinery, engines, or engineering products. On the contrary, we have never before had so much in' use, and never imported so much from outside countries. It is amazing to find the Government itself one of the most prominent sufferers from the importing mania, and it is not surprising to find workers and employers combining to demand that the State and local bodies should set an example by giving all the engineering work it can to local shops, iustead of sending it out of the country to keep engineers busy in America, Sweden, and other lands, which take none of our goods, while the Government and local authorities here are hard put to find relief works where our skilled engineers can be employed at navvving jobs, instead of living idly on charitable aid in the towns nearby their silent foundries and idlo workshops. THE ENGINEERING AGE It is well-nigh incredible that there should be this falling-off in our engineering industry, when we live in an age of ever-improving machinery and ever-varying mechcanical processes, but the figures are vouched for by the employers’ representative in our Arbitration Court, and the unemployment registers of the unions at the trades halls confirm the painful tale of unemployment and distress. Yet New Zealand comes third for motor-cars to population among the whole of the world, and if only in the production of spare parts and accessories there should be work in abundance for our smiths, moulders, turners, and titters. The representatives of the largest motor concern in the world are here now, arranging an extension of itg body building plant, but a solid tari*f on chassis, spare parts, and accessories would soon find them busy arranging for local production of metal parts.

Under safeguarding conditions, the production of motor parts in Australia has grown into an enormous industry, and the prices of spare axles, springs, bumpers, shock absorbers, and the multiplicity of ‘gadgets” needed for motor replacements have dropped between 33 and 50 per cent. Why should this work be sent out of New Zealand? KILLING LOCAL ENTERPRISE Our local foundries and workshops have proved that they can turn out products of engineering skill equal to any imported—from a Main Trunk express locomotive to a small motorlaunch engine. But not from our Government, local bodies, or private citizens has our own industry received that practical and patriotic support it ha 3 a right to expect. We feed workers of outside countries while our own starve. A paltry 10 per cent, duty on motor chassis, spare parts, and replacements gives no shelter to our workers against .the price-cutting and throat-cutting tactics of outsiders; but shut the door against them, and wo can produce better goods for ourselves at a lower price.

What applies to engineering products is equally applicable to all industry, and our local ones can never become virile and prosperous while we live in a fool’s paradise and pay through the nose for our imports. If one doubts this, read the case quoted in Parliament by that extreme freetrader, Captain Rushworth, M.P., who tells us that a pair of boots made in a Northampton factory for less than 15s sold at £1 12s 6d in New Zealand, after paying only 25 per cent, duty’ There could never be that enormous margin between the producer and the consumer of our local manufactures in any branch of industry. Pound for pound, and shilling for shilling, our home-made goods give you better value than any imported. "Where our money goes, trade goes”—why not keep both in the country? P.A.

AMMUNITION INDUSTRY

SUCCESSFUL AUCKLAND FACTORY Commencing with the manufacture of Snider cartridges only, the Colonial Ammunition Company now manufacture at their New Zealand works 14 different kinds of cartridges. The ammunition works are situated at Mount Kden, and the main building is a perfect mass of machinery of all kinds and descriptions—many being very complicated and intricate, and revealing marvellous ingenuity in their construction. The company has its own rifle and gun range on the premises, and every batch of cartridges is most carefully tested before dispatching. At the commencement of the war. the C-A.C. factory was the only one to treble its output within a month. C.A.C. ammunition was used with great success by the New Zealand and Australian troops during the war and whenever C.A.C. was obtainable no other ammunition was used. Not a single lot of C.A.C. military ammunition was rejected by the Government during the whole of the war. C.A.C. shotgun cartridges have earned a wonderful name with sportsmen In the Dominion, and compare more than favourably with the bestknowri imported brands. The majority of the important shooting championships and matches held in New Zealand during recent years have been won with C.A.C. cartridges.