THE INDUSTRIES COMMITTEE.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 May 1919, Page 5

THE INDUSTRIES COMMITTEE.

EVIDENCE AT W-ELUNGTON. By Telegraph;—■' Press Association. Weffington, Last. Night. At tho industries Committee inquiry, Mr Singleton, assisferat-dweefcor of the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture, said that at the end of last eecaus there wore 793.2K cows for the 19M-17 seasoa, and the estimated average yield was lfil.Slb butter-fat, as ftgsramt M&llb in 1:510, an increase of 19.71b of bntter-fat, which represented an increased export "aine of ;Bi-,27f1#90, hesnteg an increase in the by-pHMtoefcs. "Witness stressed tho valii of the "spraal purpose" 1 cow, vvhiek tended to follow the inerea«?e in land-values.

H.-A Huggins gave evidence regarding automatic stamping tnaehiues, 520 of' jWhieh were in use in Wellington. The *abi>en«! of color in the impression nwlwj by the machine was inclined to harope« the work of'postal clerk?, *riu> dealt with;? letters. By the use of the inachhis the' department was losing about £I2OO a year. The machine was a conwitorable r:oi». onience, as it obviated the necessity of firms keeping accounts. Answe'-ing a question he said firms we™ up against the department because they did not receive any commission for stemps. Mr. D*. Cuddie, director of the Dairy Produce Division of thi> ipricultural Department, spoke of the manufacture of casein, whioh might be fostered by making it free to anybody.

Wellington, Last Night. Mr. R. W. do 'Montalk, architect, said there was no doubt houses could be erected in permanent materials at no greater cost than the present rates for building in wood, provided sufficient capital was found to deal with the enterprise, on a fair scale. He suggested that tho use of such materials, instead of timber, would be for the economic good of the community, and would assist in the conservation of timber supplies. Mr. H. J. H. Blow, Secretary for Mines, said the present shortage of coal was due to the lack of miners. Every mining company in New Zealand was short of miners. The number of men engaged in mining was decreasing, and it was difficult to see how more could be done to attract men to the mines; but probably something would have to be done.

The representatives of the seed trade asked for duties against foreign seeds prepared and packed ready for sale, and for the release from duty of certain printed matter, such as catalogues. Packets of seed came in free of duty, but if a New Zealand seedsman wanted empty packets for his own seed, he had to pay duty on them.