N.Z. Industries Exhibition.

Progress, Volume XVII, Issue 3, 1 November 1921, Page 65

N.Z. Industries Exhibition.

The Exhibition of the products of New Zealand industries which has iust been held in the Wellington Town Hall and one of the large Harbour Board Sheds near by, attracted very considerable interest, and was organised by the New Zealand Industrial Association for the purpose of demonstrating - to Members of Parliament and the public generally the necessity for adequate Customs protection for the industries of New Zealand.

The whole display was indeed very creditable, 5-nH. n~rc;ons viewing it had to stop and think many times to reak’se that the whole of the goods displayed were produced within the Dominion. Many articles were exhibited which very few people, apart from those actually engaged in or connected with the particular industry, knew were being produced in this country, and as an educative medium the Exhibition can be proclaimed an entire success. The Timber Stall or Exhibit, presented by the Sawmillers’ Federation in conjunction with the State Forest Service, attracted very considerable Mention, and there were shown beautiful samples of doors and mantles of figured Rimu, which many who have viewed them declare cannot be excelled for beauty of figuring by any wood in the world. There were also samples of mottled Kauri, Mano'eao, Tawa. Puriri, etc., from the North, and

furniture and articles made of Red Beech from the Nelson Province and Southland Beech from the far South. Probably this latter timber has attracted more universal attention for its general utility than any other timber in the exhibit. The excellent Plywood from Manunui and samples of bent-wood articles from Christchurch have also been an eye-opener to many visitors, who had no idea that such were produced in New Zealand. The whole exhibit performed a very useful service on behalf of the sawmilling industry, the importance of which to New Zealand was well illustrated at the stall by graphs and tables illustrating the number of employees, etc., in the timber industry compared with other leading industries of the country.

The Sawmillers’ Federation and Forest Service are indebted to those millers and manufacturers who sent forward the items for display, and we feel sure that many more would have responded to the appeal for articles for exhibit had they realised what a great service the exhibit performed, not only for the industry as a whole, but for the particular firms who sent forward articles; for the number of enquiries made as to where different weeds or items can be secured was quite astounding.

All this goes to show that the industry as a whole has not been sufficiently alive in the past to the necess ; ty of advertising or propaganda work such as this Exhibition represented. It is hoped that the main part of the exhibits will be retained for exhibition elsewhere or kept as a permanent exhibit of the State Forest Service to show the splendid examples of the products of the New Zealand timber industry.

There is no doubt whatever that the exhibit, and the comparative statistics displayed in the form of graphs conclusively demonstrated the necessity of giving this industry adequate tariff protection in order that it may be developed to the fullest extent, and the utmost use made of hitherto little exploited timbers and resources of our forests

A booklet on the Forestry Resources of New Zealand ” has been issued in connection with the exhibit, and this places before the public the important part the timber industry of New Zealand has played in the development of trade.’ It also illustrates and stresses the fact that the greatest danger attached to the heavy importation of timber is the possible entry of large proportions of low grades which has the inevitable result of displacing from its natural market an equal quantity of the lower grades of our native timbers which in consequence will be either left in the bush to rot or burned upon the slab heaps. This in turn is diametrically opposed to the universal desire for the . conservation and higher utilisation of our native forests, and will inevitably lead to dearer timber for the people of New Zealand in the future

The national importance of the timber industry is also clearly demonstrated from the point of view of number of employees affected and the total wages paid, and the booklet concludes with a long list of the purposes for which our native timbers are best suited, including various species which have hitherto been made little use of, and a report on the suitability of certain New Zealand timbers as paper-making materials.

It is sincerely to be hoped that those Parliamentarians who will so shortly be called upon to decide the question of the new Customs Tariff will have made full avail of the lessons to be learnt from study of the timber and forestry exhibit.

Breakdowns in rush times will represent more than the actual cost of the broken parts, as considerable productive time is sacrificed.