The Daily News TUESDAY, MAY 12. TRUE PATRIOTISM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 120, 12 May 1908, Page 2

The Daily News TUESDAY, MAY 12. TRUE PATRIOTISM.

I '■! t ntil inill, lil,„ .'ll;l l il y, sUutlhL Iwyiu at I '•"in l , <iiiil lit,' |»ruc(ici l ol' the lornier >lllll.. I:. „„„ || IIU , Vh Zeiiliiu, 1 '"'> : " ll ' l r!'' i" every li. n, ...U,., j.,11 nil,, o| , tlwl 'an neither j iiivestig;itioi.,

Il.ei-e I„t ,Ml in,,|| V .„.,,|| un> ;,f ( | h , ''"Ke i|,:l I )i V to "" ,l "'"Ill i.v. ill ,\,. w /, |. a . i "" 1 ""•>>>Uiu-1,i,... \v,. IliiuUm- llt It Hiiit li ~| (|„I n4 > w |rt 101 1i,,. }»rotluc(., ol lim-mI itnln>lry is iliu> ( ( > iKiioniiirr n,,, ljU . t |j t v i /fahiini minHilin'hinv. Im\v iitlaim'il in ;ilim.i„l rwry l.ranrlj hi i, K ]usJ Jir prothhLs ol t»ur miu^^ HotliiiiM iiml Imum liiciijiics, prrsi-r \'v. and jam |tillout looil manui';u-(orio.s 111 lai t. almost vvri v locally-miido lino that I'ouu's into ium|it'titi<m uiilj tlio aiticlc-t'itu easily hold its' "un wiili, if 1101 coiii[H'tit<)i's in t|ualily ami vuluo. in \\w cunvn; U<\w (t r 'Tiogv.'ss." N,«w /vaiiuid's s<-i,>n. 1 r.i a [ll iu-lical ailitlr "ii t!u- «>f j.atvouisintr 1 01 -al iniln>lry. Tli;' cry in regard iu local iusays "iMo-nss. is still as ii \wi-< thirty y<'ar> wht'ii Incul indus-

try was little nioiv than a name: "We know nothing a'nout it.' Kxhiliitions in | hii-e miniliers have n-plietl lo that cry; ' HcVfi'iheless, thv ignorance e(»iuinue> in !><• general. In *pile of the demonsti'a--11011 of colonial j'al»rie ri of very description. the Inenl consumer continues to lind his choice largely conlined to imported articles, hi the l>eginning it wnt freely declared (hat the colonial product v ii> bad, and in many instances jt was bad, But after, the inevitable bad re.vii!t> of independent beginnings the local product wa»s raised to great eminence. But the eminence dooa not seem to have Ik'cu high enough to overcome the local prejudice. What U the remedy for tlus stale of things which implies thut colonial manufacturers are inferior in all their wavs?

Clearly neither Governments nor lon I governing bodie> can go on piling up exhibitions of international or any other character. While the U'tst mind* in the Dominion have I>ecn exercising themselves over this problem, a practical suggestion has been made which lights up the industrial horizon with a great Hash. It is that the various retail houses in the ehicl centres should devote a window each during certain periods for a certain number ot days to the display of articles of local manufacture. At one stroke the preposterous expens.ot organised exhibitions is swept abide, without its incidental heartburnings; local industry is brought to the front in its natural place for all men to see; Hie eminence ot the local product is made manifest; it its made clear that the local manufacturer is not indebte.l to the tariff of his country for the excelb w:*' oi his wares, and it is proved that the men of the .Dominion are turn uij: out goods belter than those of any other country, no mailer wlial tin* mo \anlages of manufacture enjoyed. I''"* are aware of the excellence of the work done by the local workmen, and i'ewtv know that the machinery in the factories of the Dominion is etpial to the most advanced to 1m- found anywhere. Once convince the average man ol the piijKM'ioriiy of the local ailiele —a thing easv lo demou-trali' - anil tlie iuleriorily of the local article's popularity wiil disappear from the locul market. Lhe next >top miM be a great increase in tin- demand for Lhe products of local manufacture in the local market. Ijcagucs have been formed In-fore now in the history of the world having for ■ their object the encouragement of local industry by the simple process of local consumption. The next- step in the evolution of local industry here ought to lie the patronage of tlu: local supply by

thv local demand. This must follow in the wake of the recently initiated policy as surely as day follows night. The goods l* l ing proved at least not inferior, the rest ought to be easy. This i. a matter we should like to see th- 1 local Tradesmen's Associations and the Chamber of Commerce interesting themselves in. If the principal business phues of the town agreed, for a given period, to each dress a show-window with the goodfj of New Zealand manufacture in which he deals, setting oiu the fae.t prominently and attractively, much could be done to awaken the <en-e of national pride n* well a> erouoitii'advantage in patronising the of local indu-lry.