LOCAL INDUSTRIES WEEK.

"MADE IN NEW ZEALAND."

SCHOOL CHILDREN'S ESSAYS

THE COUNTRY COMPETITION

The. following are the winners of the country schools' essay competition, promoted by the Chamber of Commerce in connection with Local Industries Week:- > SENIORS. FIRSt PRIZE: IRENE K. WYLLIE, 12 years 10 months, Waitara School : — "Made in Germany!" Only a few years back 'what a nightmare this cry was to the British manufacturer. Article after article bore the imprint. Here it was ironware, there fanc> goods; even o\ir pencil rubbers confronted us with the term. Whether ii was the drastic action of the Englis}' Government or the efforts of the Bri tish manufacturer, or the spirit oi patriotism born of the Boer Avar, I do not know, but that reproach is now almost wiped out, and "Made in Germany" has been supplanted by "Made in England", — a change which we, a« niembers of the Empire, should welcome, and now, as true New Zealanders, we hail the efforts that are being made to bring nearer home and to giv* to "Made in New Zealand" its true significance, and to New Zealand productions their real and natural importance. This was the aim of Industry Week. The parochial Spirit seems to be drawing its bonds closer and closer gach year, and we should giv© preference to local productions before those of foreign lands. When we patronise our own productions we patronise ourselves, and ''Charity begins at home." The idea of an exhibition which originated — some claim in Wellington, some in Christchurch — was readily iaken up by the New Plymouth Chamber of Commerce and storekeepers, and fqotball week was the date fixed upon. „ Perhaps the most unique and origjmal of all exhibits was that of a tiny vhisei Yorkshire porker in a tidy strawlined sty. But it was only an introduction to the next window. Hams (little and big), sides of bacon, and lard nicely got up in many-coloured skins — red, white, black, blue, and vel;ow — showed what one of New Zealand's industries can do. The next window was devoted to bottled goods. Gooseberries, cherries, and pickles were tastefuly displayed. . Another grocer dealt with niiscellaneous'goods. In one window pickles, butter, jams, honey, and other small things were placed, while the other window m as v filled with, pile upon pile of cheeses, altogether making one ton. Some were as old as three years, well ripened enough to suit the^taste of the most critical judge. . Yet another decorated his window with biscuits and confectionery. The daintiest wafer aad the plainer kind of biscuit were placed side py side, each being garnished with a striking centrepiece of artificial flowers. The other window had a nice exhibit of the Sentry Hill flour-mill's work, the background being bag after bag of flour, and the effect being heightened by a small mirror reflecting the different processes of flour-makine. In the drapery establishments warm blankets, handsome dress pieces (black, blue, and grey), tweeds of all patterns and designs, and nice costumes were very enticing to the ladies' eyes. The bootmakers also presented a nice display to the public, one having a model of a torpedo destroyer, and another of the s.s. Manani and a fish of curious, shape to brighten' it. Black, tan, and white boots and shoes were placed side by side; the great watertight, splendidly suited for the cowyard, and the tiny baby shoe, oven a delicate pair of pale blue evening shoes were placed under the heading "Made in New Zealand." There were many other exhibits — stationery, printing, ironware, and furniture — some very handsome pieces. For so young a country the exhibit was very good, but it was only a beginning, and as we scrolled from window to window we seemed to have a glimpse into the future. And what a future ! We saw New Zealand a great country, self-supported and self-sup-porting, her rivers, issuing from the Alps, harnessed and obedient to man; we saw New Plymouth, W harbour completed, and foundries ' scattered along her shores, beautiful, great, and prosperous. SECOND PRIZE: M. BOLLINGER, 18 years 7 months, Omata: — At the present day the greater portion of the goods sold in New Zealand aro imported from abroad. If we wish our country to" become rich and prosperous this should not be. Wo should endeavour to keep our money as much as possible in the Dominion instead of sending it away to other countries. If the New Zealanders were a little more patriotic by showing a preference for goods made in the Dominion the shopkeepers would keep a greater supply of those goods. As it is, they see that most people put more value on good is made in England or America than those made her«. It would not, theroforo, pay them to patronise New Zealand made goods more than others. The New Zealanders must learn faith in their country before it can flourish as it should. If we. were to compare the late exhibit of New Zealand-made goods, in tho windows of the New Plymouth shops, with the produce of other countries, we should find that in most cases they could be compared very favourably. The windows of the drapers' shop? showed a grand display of costumes and overcoats made at Potono and the Roslyn mills, of ruga and blankets made at Kaiapoi, and of collars, hats and tic? of every description, all of which rousf have attracted an eager crowd of buyers. The windows of the,grovers' shop? wort* arranged with special taste, that of Carter's being the most attractive. In it worn sot "out in grand array. I baron and hams cured at the Inj.;!"wock! bacon factory and which had taken first prize at the Palmerston show; tins of jam and preserved fruit made and tinned at Kirkpatrick's factory, and packets of well-preserved lard. The window of Deare, the bootmaker, was well filled with every kind of boot and shop from tho frail mil boautiful dancing shoe to the strong though ugly working boot, all of which were manufactured at the Egmont Bot>l and Shoo Factory. Mr Dingle's window was full of sofas, chairs, and various piocos of woll-finished bedroom furniture. Okey Son and Arnold had on show the various branches of hardware from their foundry, as patent hinpos, wir« strainers, and some of the smaller farm implements. Sykes, the chemist, showed a good exhibit of medicin<w of every kind, as drugs, cow" drenches, and ointments. The object of this grand oxhibit of New Zoaland-mado goods was to try and convince the people of their good quality. It is to be hoped that that object will be acWieved and that tho manufactures will become greater mrl more extensive. This further manufac-

turing would give employment to hundreds of people and the country would become more thickly populated and more important until in time it would be able to export large quantities of goods. THIRD PRIZE : ALBERT RICHARD BAYLY, 13 years, Omata : — Now Zealanders are apt to think 1 that, because their country is a young one, the manufactures turned out are not nearly so good as the imported goods of older countries; but the display of New Zealand and locally-made goods in the New Plymouth shop windows last week was enough to .show the observant that the Dominion and even local manufacturers are able to turn out goods that will hold their own against any imported ones. Local people do not fully patronise locallymado goods, which are nearly ahvays as good as, if not better than, those of other New Zealand centres. If we can get locally-made goods cheaper than imported ones, or those of other- New Zealand centres, the manufacturer is fully- eiitifcled to the preference of our buying, especially if he, as he generally does, gives us a high price for our butter, cheese, and other products of our own industry. Local people should be awakened to the fact that locally-made goods are, in the end, better than others, and that other provinces of the Dominion are enriching themselves at Taranaki's expense. Sue sends all her tallow away to Wellington to be made into soap, 'when it could be converted just as well hero and so oniploy local labour and benefit the district by keeping .the money in it. Although' we have sash and door, boot, clothing, and furniture factores, an iron foundry, manufacturing druggists, and printing establishments, wo might easily have soap, candle, and biscuit factories, if the New Plymouth people took a little more interest in their town. A run round the New Plymouth shops last week would have shown us nearly all the New Zealand manufactures, which are just as good in style, quality and finish as those W other countriesv In Mr Carter's window was a grand' display of bacon and hams which had been cured by the Inglewood Bacon Factory Company, which took first prize for bacon at the Palmerston Show in 1907. In this window also was an excellent display of Nelson-made jams, pickles, and preserves of every possible description. The manufacturers were Kirkpatrick and Co.. who have perhaps the largest business in this line in New Zealand. The next shop of notice was Mr Dingle's, where a quantity of locally-made bedroom furniture was shown. This furniture was made of rimu and kauri, aln the same window was a quantity of Auckland-made cane chairs and sofas. In Mr Broome's window the locally-made Prestwell clothing showed out prominently, and there was besides this a quantity of locally-made umbrellas and under- ' clothing and a number of Petone-made blankets and rugs. In the Melbourne Clothing Co.'s window was a grand display of New Zealand-made clotning, consisting of ties of every hue (enticing not only the most fastidious white man but also the gayest Maori), tin trunks, portmanteaux, shirts, collars, studs, boots, and Kaiapoi, Mosgiel. Onehunga and Petone-made underclothing, rugs, and blankets. Mr Hayden's window contained a beautiful lot of bedroom sets of kauri and other timbers, besides an excellent lot of sofas and couches, all beautifully covered and padded. Another interesting window display was seen at Mr Bestfprd's, where, umbrella, making^, and .repairing is carried on extensively. , JVir , Bellringer's window contained large- and varied assortments of ironmongery, consisting of hooks, slashers, axes, scythes, tomahawks, shovels, picks, and stove ranges. Then, too, there was in the" same window a beautifunl collection of oil and water paintings. Mr Whitaker's window contained a fine lot of Aulsebrook's biscuits or every kind, besides tinned meats, jams, preserves, ega preservatives, lemon-peel, and baking powders. Then we must not forget the mouth-watering - contents of Waugh's window, which contained confectionery of every description. As we cannot describe every shop in detail, we must conclude With mentioning a few of the more important shop displays, which include the important ironmongery^shop of Messrs Okey, Son, and Arnold's, the bookbinding and printing of Avefy's, the tailoring of Cocker's, and the dyeing of Newman's. JUNIORS. FIRST PRIZE: IVY EARP, 10 years, Egmont Village : — During this past week most of the tradespeople in New Plymouth displayed in their shop windows goods of colonial manufacture, including drapery, boots and shoes, groceries, saddlery, furniture, ironmongery, etc. The object of this is to show that New Zealand can produce such a large number of splendid goods without having to import such goods from England or elsewhere. The display in drapery was very extensive, most of it being manufactured at the Petone, Kaiapoi. ROslyn, Mosgiel and Onehunga woollen mills from wool grown in the Dominion. From these mills rugs, blankets, flannels, hosiery, hats and caps, silk, cotton and woollen underwear, dress materials, oeercoats and jackets, suits, costumes, etc., were displayed by Messrs Morfey Pollew, Ambury, White, Morey and Moore, Blythe and Herbert. Mr White arranged Mosgiel rugs, blankets and flannels to represent a bushman's hut. Other- special features in his windows were "Diamond" suits and Standard shirts. Mr J. Bestford had on viow a large assortment of umbrellas and sunshades of his own make. There was a splendid collection of boots and shoes in lace, button-up anr| strap, both black and tan, as well as the heavier make, to bo seen at the A. B.C. Boot Shop, Deare's Boot Arcade, Mr Dockr ill's, and Messrs Gray son and Cock's. A beautiful model of a tor-pedo-boat adorned Mr Dearo's window, and in Messre Grayson and Cock's was the s.s. Manani, made by Master Peddie, of New Plymouth. There was a large variety of groceries exhibited, the chief of which were preserved goods,., of which Mr Veal had a "jumble window," containing eighty different kinds. Mr Carter's extensive display included jams, pickles, canned fruit, etc., from New Zealand factories, also a splendid collection of hams and bacon from the Inglewood Bacon Factory. Skins of lard coloured yellow and black, also red, whit© and blue, representing the Taranaki and English football colours, made a pretty effect. , In the corner was a little white pig representing Captain Cook. In one of Mr Whitaker's windows were bran, pollard and flour from Messrs J. Little and Co.'s flour mill at Sentry Hill. The making of the florfr from tho wheat was shpwn in thirteen different processes. There wus a good display of saddlery at T. King and Co.'s, including portmunteaux, travelling bags, and trunks, saddles, and harness of all kinds. Somo beautiful furniture made from New ZcalaiTd woods was displayed, in-

cluding bedsteads, washstands, etc. Tho "Red Post" showed a handsome Chesterfield drawing room suite, made of kauri, stuffed with horse-hair, and covered with velvet, and saddlebags, also another pretty suite of three pieces, in silk' and plush, a dining-room suite, a kauri Cheval dressing table, and a totara washstand with a New Zealand marble top. People were astonished to find that so many things could bo made in little New Zealand. j SECOND PRIZE?' CHARLES A. EVANSf 11 years 2 months, ! Omata : — Some people are apt to think that, as Now Zealand is a young country, its manufactures are not up to older ones. This, however, is not the case, for we have all kinds of factories and other works in New Zealand and make goods just as easily, just as attractive, and just as well as any other country. During the week that the British footballers visited T.irnnaki a grand display of New Zealand made good;< was exhibited in tho shop windows of Now Plymouth. Let' xis now visit some of the chief shop windows in turn. Lot us bey;in at Carter's well know v n grocer's shop. Here Mas * displayed bacon in all stages from the pig in the pen to tho bacon when cured and ready for use. There were also many p.ackets of lard and • also numerous fruiis, pickles, and Kirkpatrick's jams. In Dingle s window Avas a large amount of furniture, perambulators, baskets, and all kinds of wicker work. In "The Kash" were . umbrellas and cl'diihing. Arrayed in jWr Pellcw's window were any amount of underclothes and blankets. In the Melbourne were Petone clothes of all descriptions, portmanteaux, different coloured ties, boots, studs, and ' soaps. Displayed in Haydon's window were beautiful pieces of furniture, such as sofas, carpets, 'and all kinds of chairs and glasswaue. In Newman's window were different kinds of tweeds and trousers. We must not forget to mention Scott's window', where were sausages, meat pies, and hams, which looked so refreshing to any hungry person passing outside. In Bellringer's window were stoves, buckets, supple-jack baskets, iron-stands, slashers, saws, and tomahawks. There was a fine' display of things in Okey's window, some of them* being brooms, brushes, slashers, wire-strainers, axes and patent gate hinges. In Avery's window were memoriam cards, playing cards, and innumerable books. ' In Veale's window theje were biscuits, wax honey, fruits, matches, candles, condensed milk and cheese. Displayed in Whitaker's window were biscuits, flour and different kinds of meals. In Rowe's shop were all kinds of garden produce, such as seeds, vegetables, and manures. To end my short essay I shall here say that I think all New Zealanders ought to trade with their Dominion so that instead of sending money away, from their country they would keep it in their country.