INDUSTRIES WEEK.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 76, 6 May 1914, Page 5

INDUSTRIES WEEK.

AWAKENING INTEREST. To-day is the third day of Industries Week, and the public is evidently beginning to take more interest in it; so, too, are the shopkeepers. The idea of displaying the capacity of our own country for manufactures as well as primary products, is an essentially patriotic idea, and also goes to prove that in showing patriotism by supporting local industry people are doing good business also. Where in the world should there be a better market for articles made in New Zealand than the Dominion itself? The state of mind which causes the average customer to prefer a hat or an armchair because it happens to have been made in a foreign country, when an article as good, and in many cases better, can be obtained from a New Zealand factory, is altogether to be deplored. It is for this reason that the Industrial Association has decided on the excellent idea of Industries Week. Those firms which do not respond to the association's appeal are not conspicuous for their patriotism. They take New Zealand money; surely they should strive to see New Zealand

goods. As.was said in yesterday's SUN, the Industrial Association has had its principal support this year from the drapers. Of course they are in the best position to make a show of New Zealand goods, as our woollens are the best articles we make —that is on a large scale. All the soft-goods shops which have made a display have specialised in this branch of the business, and some very creditable shows indeed have been made. An inspection of the large windows of any of the leading drapery firms will be found to be well worth while. Kaiapoi, Mosgiel, Eoslyn, Napier, Oamaru, Petone, and Onehunga—all are well represented,a*fd many of the rugs, blankets, and tweeds shown will bear comparison with articles produced anywhere else in the wide world.

At the same time the casual observer may have cause to complain that most of the displays are not conspicuous enough. In many cases there are windows full of excellent articles made in the Dominion—and in many cases in Christchurch itself —while there is nothing to show that this is the case except a small placard, very hard to see unless one looks for it, bearing the legend, "Made in the Dominion." In some cases there are added the words, "Support your own industries," but the shopkeepers as a rule do not seem to realise the importance of advertising the Dominion's industries as a whole to the same extent as their own individual enterprise. The greatest possible credit is due to those firms which have fallen in with the Industrial Association's I scheme, but there should certainly more business men in the city imbued with the necessary love of their country and regard for its prosperity to help even in this inexpensive way to contribute to its commercial welfare. Several of the big grocery firms are making adequate display, and they certainly have every opportunity in New Zealand bacon, butter, cheese, etc., the fame of which is greater beyond this Dominion than in it. Messrs Kincaul, Ltd., are displaying a well-arranged exhibit. Their mild-cured hams and bacon occupy a prominent place, but there is also a large display of eggs, stamped and dated as a guarantee of their freshness. New Zealand honey, in combs and jars, cream cheeses, ordinary cheeses, New Zealand Cheddar and Stilton cheeses, all these toothsome edibles are there, amongst other things, to prove that in these the New Zealander cannot get better quality abroad than he can get at Home. Messrs Kincaid, Ltd., have done well. The New Zealand Farmers' Co-opera-tive Association stores set a good example to the unthinking person who does net care whether his country's imports exceed the exports. The Farmers Co-op. is usually associated with the primary industries, therefore those who look at this association's display of manufactures will realise with surprise that the primary industries supply work for many local manufacturers, and that, in these manufactured products New Zealand firms can supply the consumer with an article equal, and often superior, to the imported goods. The Farmers' Association displays mercery, shirts, underclothing, hoisery, etc., which are the manufacturers' strongest testimonial. It is generally known that New Zealand rugs are not to be surpassed anywhere, but if confirmation of this knowledge is needed, the Association's display will provide it. Christchurch leather goods are there in a display of suit-oases, gladstones, brief bags, etc., just to suggest that it is not imperative*that one should buy imported wares to have the best, and in the exhibition of suit materials, worsteds, and tAveeds, there is value equal to that produced- at the looms of Bradford or Koubaix. . . The D.I.C. does not deal solely in imported goods; it too can put up a strong showing of the local manufactures it supplies. In their windows one can see New Zealand wool transformed in New Zealand factories into fine woollen goods, hosiery, and underwear of heavy and medium weights made at Roslyn and Mosgiel, Kaiapoi and Petone rugs, and blankets and flannel for clothing and shirting, all grades, of Petone make, are shown. There are also leather goods and boots and shoes from the heaviest to the very smartest stvles, dainty suede-topped shoes for ladies, well-built men's shoes and boots of different models, all indicating that America is not the only place*where stylish footwear is made. The dross materials, too, are fine—there are check tweeds of a smoothness of pattern and finish to please the most exacting buver. There are knitted coats, caps and "overalls for children that are made of pure materials and are as wellfinished as one could desire, and in the Lichfield Street windows there is displaced a handsome suite of dining room furniture, beautifully finished oak chairs, and tables, a big sideboard, and finely upholstered easy chairs and couches manufactured on the premises. Messrs Bcath and Co. have a very effective exhibition of fabrics and woollen goods. The window devoted to smart tweeds produced by South Canterbury mills is an object lesson to those who think "smartness" must be imported. The costumes and coats of the Kaiapoi mills make" another display flattering to our national pride. If these goods were not on this occasion plainly labelled as New Zealand products,' the average New Zealander seeing them would, in his humility, at once conclude they Avere made abroad. One window is filled with Kaiapoi blankets, but everyone knows New Zealand rugs and blankets and uses . them, this being one of the cases where j the superiority of the local product has

impressed itself on the consumer, and one has only to look on the thick, fleecy weaves" to realise that their quality cannot be bettered. There is underwear of all sorts and of every quality except poor quality displayed, the produce of all the mills in New Zealand, and here again it is proved how able we are to hold our own if only the people of the country will combine to help themselves rather than to provide extra, profit to the manufacturers of Europe and America. An unusual display is a number of beautifully executed umbrellas, as artistic and smart in workmanship as any —the materials of the best and the handles beautifully designed. The usual idea is that umbrellas arc not made in New Zealand, but the truth is that the most that are sold here are of local manufacture, and cost 50 per cent, less than the imported umbrella, on which there is a duty of 25 per cent. Practical patriotism pays, and Beath and Co. 's exhibit proves it."" Messrs Strange and Co. have perhaps the most complete exhibition of any of the shops, practically every one of its big array of windows being devoted to the articles that New Zealand makes, and each window draws attention to the fact by an outline map of these islands drawn upon it, with the text, "Made in New Zealand.'' One window is devoted to Petone blankets, another contains a fine bedroom suite in oak, complete in every detail, the whole of the furniture being made by Strange and Co. Still another window is devoted to furniture, this : time an artistic draw-ing-room suite made in fine Avoods. There is a window given to wicker furniture of local make, to coats aud ladies' costumes of the latest fashionable cut, made in Petone. There are windows displaying the finest knitted goods and finely woven underwear of the choicest quality, tweeds and clothes, men's overcoats and suits, all locally made of materials produced locally. To enforce the idea -that New Zealand

sheep provide the raw material for these articles of clothing one window, filled with men's underwear and hosiery^, is spread with raw wool. The whole exhibition is a most effective argument against those who believe that "no good cometh out of Nazareth," and that an article to have quality must be brought from Europe or America even though our own raw products be sent thither to make it.

[Descriptions of other displays will appear to-morrow.]