141

H.—22,

No. 205. CARIUAGE-ISCTLDrNO TItADE. 8i E) — Christcnurch, 22nd July, 1880. When handing you the information yesterday in regard to the number of people employed in the coach-building trade in Christehurcli, 1 thought you would go over the carriages again, and I should have an opportunity of explaining to you more fully ; therefore I beg to do so now. My vehicles that you saw are a fair average of my every-day work. They are made of the very best imported material, and by as good workmen as cau be procured anywhere, and, as you saw, well finished, and suited for the requirements of the country, and I am prepared to supply them to the public to compete with any fairly-imported work of the same grade, but am not. able to compete with the consignments of cheap surplus stock that ia sent out here from the United States and sold at any price that the agents may be offered for it. I may here state that the additional duty of 5 per cent, ad valorem imposed last session, and the raw material being let in free, has assisted us very materially; and 1 feel, if there was stilt another 5 per cent, added to the duty it would be the means of having less of that cheap rubbish sent out here, consequently we should have the market to dispose of our own work when finished, and should be able to supply the public at much less price than we do now, where we have the market glutted with such vehicles, and have to keep ours in stock until, in some instances, the interest of money and rents run into the price of the article when sold. And I also wish to state, by these consignments being imposed on the market we have fully 35 per cent, of the people that were employed in the coach-building trade walking about the streets with nothing whatever to do, and most of them are really destitute. The coach and carriage trade imports several thousand pounds'worth of wood material annually. And I would suggest planting hickory, oak, ash, and elm trees on the railway sidings and reserves. .By so doing it would greatly benefit the coach-building and other wood-working trades in future, and be the means of employing a great deal of labour ia putting it into the shape that our coach-makimr materials are when imported. I may say there is. machinery now in the country for bending rims and turning spokes and hubs ; but, having no woods here suitable for light-carriage "work, that machinery is comparatively idle. And, further, oce great advantage that the coach-builders in the United States have over ours here is, having the material grown and prepared there, and can get what they want for the trade at any moment, where wo have tokeep large stock in hand, which means interest of money. I have, &c., A. G-. Rowland, E. "Wakefield, Esq., Coach-builder, Chriatchurch. Chairman of the Eoyal Commission on Local Industries.

No. 206. Cakduoard-box Manutacttjee. GtEntlemek, — Christehurcli, 22nd July, 1880. I beg respectfully to bring to } rour notice a new industry —namely, the manufacture of cardboard boxes—used extensively throughout this colony, principally by chemists and druggists —such as pill-boxes, seidlilz-powder boxes, &c.; and by jewellers generally; as also by drapers, milliners, and others ; of which large quantities, aggregating thousands of grosses, are imported into this colony, which articles I am prepared to manufacture in this colony, thus employing local labour and opening up a new field of industry, which cannot fail to enhance the welfare of the community at large by giving remunerative occupation to a large number of hands, thus creating a large!1 medium of circulation. I am fully satisfied that, were this industry fostered and encouraged by a protective tariff sufficient to enable me to compete with the importers in price—a measure to which the Americans had to resort ia order to foster their trades, which suffered by imports from the older countries of Europe, and which measure bus been eminently successful in promoting industries of all classes. Being connected with one of the largest box-manufactories in Philadelphia, I saw the industry to which I allude carried on by seven separate firms, who were amply capable of supplying the wants of the business community in the year 1865. At the present time there are upwards of thirty firms engaged in the business in that one city alone. Notwithstanding all the increased facilities which the more modern inventions in machinery afford, they employ large numbers of men, youths, and females of all ages, many of whom are physically incapable of performing the duties of the heavier class of labour. It will be understood that this industry was subservient to the others, being merely a channel of supply to them. As a matter of course, this industry did not stand alone; there were innumerable others started up from fl languishing condition to one of vigorous activity, under the fostering influences of a wise and discriminating protective policy, which imparted a confidence to the manufacturing community, and also led to the opening-out and development of the resources of the country, as there is abundant room to do in New Zealand. I could give permanent employment to a large number of females of that class who are physically incapable of fulfilling the heavier labours of domestic service. And as the population of our cities increases the question naturally arises. What shall we put our children to? All cannot be agricultural labourers; all cannot be domestics. After these markets are full of this class of labour what shall we do with the surplus if other avenues of industry are not opened up to them, which can only be done in a new country like ours by giving substantial aid to local manufacturers. For the information of your honorable body I beg to state that I am now manufacturing the above-named articles at a considerably lower figure than the importers are now selling at, and am prepared to supply all demands of the trade; but am deterred from launching out more fully, which would entail considerable expense on me, and the great risk of loss by the competition of the importers, who, from the margin of profit they at present have, could run me out of the market. As before stated, lam now in a position to offer to the public my goods at a lower figure than the importers' present prices, in addition to employing local labour, which latter would of itself be a gain to the country. In view of the aforementioned facts, your petitioner humbly begs that your honorable body will represent the case as herein set forth to the Government. I have, &c, The Honorable the Commissioners on Local Industries. Alexandeb Aulsebeook. 19— H. 23.