LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 100, 3 June 1914, Page 6

LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

To the EditoS 'THE STOT.. " . ,

. been> reading- a good deal lately, about boots, the' tanningt trade, the cost •of bread", and - various' other items, and on top. of, all: this ,spme very 'pertinent remarks from'- Mr J.- Barr, M.L.C. ; ■' \

The operatives of the boot trade invite. the public of New- Zealand to be patriotic-and; "to the, purchase. rather than the imported article.- This sounds very reasonable, but*—and I must admit - there -..is t .a very. subr stantial '' but" before, doing- so. - Apparently freight charges, &i'ty 'at 15 >per cent., and also a fixed rate are .not sufficient protection. " Something else is sought. More, duty, even to the exclusion of the imported article.: . Now,; so long as human nature is what it is, being essentially cosmopolitan-—that is, buying in the . cheapest market and selling in the dearest—so long will it be optional with the say where he shall buy and whose goods he prefers. Take any worker's cottage to-day—-.will it not, be found that, cheap German and glasssrare, chairs, etc., etc., prevail- rather than patri-i otic,like British or colonial made; goods! Here we have oii<e tradeasking.-for inore protection; another asking for the duty to be taken from *fiour—surely/bqth cannot . be ; right. What has the loeal tradesman done for the, of,consumers that he should look , for and more or less demand a patriotic demand for his wares? Is lie not always looking for increased pay, shorter hours, etc,' all of which are :|iis brother 's blood ?f-rand then talks of The wages to-day are at least a third more thaii they were twenty years ' agß; k but truly, they can buy' iio more since a man handles more wages; i but everything" has responded t-o- that ;everthirst for more " pay, whilst, added to which, the pictures, the trams, the bike (for all ■ workers -nqw have their machines), have, with many, other items of. apparent necessity "Become essential. 'No. wonder' the worker feels the strain; but if he wants patriotism;'he.trfiust alfeo be 9. patriot - and realise : that others besides himself have to live also. ( He must sink ! his own egotism somewhat" more than he" is', doing at present, ''and then and only then will - his appeal ihave the desired effect. —I am, etc., > ,-4/ ■ CERBERUS.