NEW ZEALAND INDUSTRIES.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 269, 2 June 1888, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND INDUSTRIES.

Suml \ery interesting facts with regard to New Zealand industries were brought out in the valuable paper by Professor Brown which we re\iewed at considerable length. in onr last Saturday's issue. From the appended tabulated statement, showing the produce of the leading established industries of the colony, and the extent to which they supply the local market, it appears thafcweha\e alieady made great progress towards supplying our own wants, andVith a little more tariff aid we might become absolutely self-supporting :—: —

While it is exceedingly gratifying to find that we have made so much progress in the development of these important industries, the table cannot but suggest to anyone who studies i 1i 1 dispassionately, that the greater port of the £978,010 which are set down as imports in the foregoing table might be expended used within the colony in employing our own workmen. Take furniture and upholstery, for example. If we have successfully manufactured ,C 162,375 worth of those goods, could we not very readily proouce the remaining £46,635 worth, if colonists were more patriotic and less dominated by fashion 7 Even wit h respect to colonial manufactured furniture, a laige amount of imported materials were used doubtless when the colonial timbers would have done quite las well. There could be no loss to the colony by protecting the local manufacturers in thisdepartmont, but great gain. Besides keeping remuneratively employed in our midst a class of skilled workmen who are now being driven away to Victoria, we should have a cheaper and better article betfccrappliancesand greater would be brought to boar upon the industry. That we should still import into this magnificent fruit - growing colony £18,635 worth of preserved truits and jams, to say nothing of the vast importation of green fruit, is' one of the anomalies that can only exist .so long as the Government arc absolutely heedlebs of the industrial wants and capacities of the colony.

jfroducts. J 1885. Imports. 1886. £ Printing 273.886 A nculturul implements . 111.823 Coach anil waggon building 128 346 Ships and boats 47,116 Woollens . 194,311 Boots and shoes .. . 276,725 Clothing .... . 237,781 Furniture and upholstery 162.375 Cheese and butter 43,094 Flnx .. .. 20.059 Cordage and tuino .. 56,415 Cured and tinned fish 12,182 Malt 96,015 Coal 255,326 Flour and meal 754,830 Prcser\ed fruit .uid mm . 32,292 Beer .. " .. . 325.182 Candles . ... 54,593 Soap 74.570 San milling, sashes, doors ..1,177,713 Brick, tile, and pottery .. 91,797 Roiling down and meat . 543,878 Tanning and scouring . .. 634,915 .."KijUed waters 94.098 £ 10,954 3.195 10,546 104,993 157,445 208,852 46,635 856 8.924 32.061 262 123,345 17,277 18,«35 74,942 42,117 5,511 50,662 615 1,334 55.974 2,875 Total £5,698,720 £978,010

Vata t k or Products of Principal Maxitacturks and ok Corresponding Impou'is*.