THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, JULY 11, 1910. ENCOURAGEMENT OF INDUSTRIES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10037, 11 July 1910, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, JULY 11, 1910. ENCOURAGEMENT OF INDUSTRIES.

The building trade is the barometer that indicates the condition of trade in any colonial town, and the condition of this particular industry in Wellington just now is decidedly slack. Wellington does noc stand alone in this respect, and many other large towns can be pointed to as beinjx 'n as lifsless a condition as regards trade. People on the land, where they have not paid too high a price for it, are thriving, and there ia no scarcity of money anywhere Tradespeople have remarked that the cash trade has been good, and ac-

counts have been paid with certain I regularity —a great improvement on J former years' experiences. It is the 1 industrial progress of the country that is in such an unsatisfactory state. What is the reason that people with money will not venture it in manufacturing industries? The Hon.

C. M. Luke it. the Legislative Council the other day drew attention to the unsettled condition of industries throughout the Dominion. The first reason that comes most naturally to ones' mind is the bearing of the labour laws on industries. Mr Luke says be has no sympathy with those 1 who would wipe out the industrial legislation of this country and the arbitration system. He did Dot thick that would improve the position. Yet to U3B his own words he cannot

suggest a remedy, and owns himself | perfectly confounded and puzzled. He believes the man who can solve the labour problem of this or any other country to-day would be the greatest man of his time. Mr Luke says that if the improved social condition of the workers in this country

is to h e maintained, it will be necessary to raise tariffs to enable industries to be carried on. If something of the sort i 9 not done, many of the industries that were trying to hold their own would He shut down, not by choice but by force ot circumstances. Many of those engaged in industries would retire now from choice if they were able to do so, but they were between the hammer and the anvil al the time. Thsy had not only pledge* all the moneys they possessed, bu they had pledged their lives and th< lives of their families to these indus

trial enterprises- The question to | bs faced is how to uphold the rights I of the workers and at the same time | I to help in the establishment of industries throughout the Dominion. This must be solved by the Government, and in the interest of the Dominion at large it should be taken in hand at once. Every civilised nation is engaged in the pursu't of trade, and it is the keen rivalry in this respect that is compelling such an industrial nation as Germany to build ships of war to give her the power to carry the industrial war into any part of the world. Britain and the United States of America are increasing their naval strength Jor the purpose

of pushing forward and protecting their trade. A Royal i Commission ' might well be appointed t-j enquire into the industrial conditious of New Zealand and bring forward suggestions for improvement. The responsibility rests on the shoulders of the Ministry. Chambers of Commerce throughout the Dominion should de--1 vote their energies and skill to the consideration of the question, and by united action bring pressure to bear on the Government to solve the diffi--1 culty. Given fixed rates of pay and 7 permanent hours of labour for me--8 chanics, on what basis can industries d be established on payable lines. This is the important problem to be solved.