A LOCAL INDUSTRY.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 142, 23 March 1872, Page 3

A LOCAL INDUSTRY.

Mr Burke, of Wakefield-strcet, is a hel-lows-maker. If not a very high, it is still a very respectable branch of manufacturing industry. Mr Burke is a modest, unassuming man. He has no desire to puff the products of his handicraft into notoriety ; but lie speaks in a mild, sensible way as follows : —“ I am a maker of bellows. They will Mow as well and last as long as the very best imported. I employ labour in their manufacture. I use wood grown in our own forests, cut into planks l»y our own mills. The leather used is from the Hides of our own beasts, prepared by our own tanners. All that I am protected by the Government tariff is one shilling per cubic foot. Three pairs of ordinary house-bellows, when they are packed in quantities will measure a foot. This is equal to fourpcnce per pair. The cost of labour in the province, as compared with labour in England, is more than fourpence. Let the Government then increase the tariff ever so little more, and there need be no more bellows imported into New Zealand. Of course I don’t expect the Government to take bellows specially into consideration,although I do not see why they should not. But if they will just cail at my shop during working hours, 1 would (Ml them of a few other things which, by slightly protecting, would cause a wonderful increase to our local manufactures. There are,for instance, cabinet ware, furniture, brush ware, turnery, and a few other tilings of simple manufacture, for which we possess the raw material. At a very trifling annual loss to the r venue quite 500 men would find employment alone in this town.” This is what Mr Burke says, lie says also, but with great meekness, that perhaps he may

bo wrong, and with equal humility thru perhaps after all he may he right. He also says that even under the present protective tariff ho could make bellows at a fair profit, at the cost for which they are imported, if commercial firms, instead of sending; home, would order from him. Mr Burke is asked why; and this is his answer, although to use the words previously employed by him, perhaps lie may be right or perhaps he may he wrong; but he speaks thus: “ Merchants sending homo get a commission for buying them, interest for mono}’,and a longer credit than I can afford to give.”— .Cross.