SECONDARY INDUSTRIES

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 109, 8 May 1919, Page 7

SECONDARY INDUSTRIES

AFTER-WAR DEVELOPMENT. ALL-ROUND PROGRESS V, ANTED. ELECTRIC TOWER AND MODERN .METHOtOS. In a valedictory address to tie annual meeting oi the Auckland Provincial Industrial Association last night, Mr. S. J. Harhutt, the retiring president, gave a very practical sitmiuaiy ot the prospects of New Zealand's secondary industries, and of the measures which he considered were necessary for their successful development. Other speakers aLo gave valuable wows on the subject.

Mr. Ilarlintt first emphasised 'hat the object of ihc association was to aid and fosliT New Zealand's industries n every way possible, and not lo promote the interests of any particular compiuy or firm, ll »as pleasant, be said, to note that after six or seven year-' continuous propaganda work, three questions of the most vita! importance to all industries— hydroelectric power, forest conservation, and afforestation had at last become really live questions in the politics of the Dominion. A- evidence ot" this lie referred to Sir Francis Bell-, recent pronouncement on the forest probiem, and to the announcement by Sir William Friisci' with reference to active work in connection wiiii the development of power schemes. He deplored tho past neglect that had allowed timber to become scarce and dear through indiscriminate e.xpori and destruction, and the failure of the liovernment to have all preparations made for starting work upon the electric power schemes immediately the advent of peace allowed, and tiie economic war after the war made them necessary. This war New Zealand was entering, in the usual British way. unprepared. Now thai a start had been made, however, public opinion would not tolerate any "go slow" policy.

In IIH4, continued -Mr. Harbutt. he emphasised that the war had opened wide the door of opportunity to the industrialist of the Dominion, and that

by proper action the country's prosperity might he permanently increased.' Now the only way to meet the burdens! of the war was by increased product-ion.l The development of the .Dominion's primary and secondary industries in the I past four and a half years was little j short of remarkable, and the future showed great possibilities. Regarding the land and its products there was little to fear,'but in regard to the secondary industries what were the pros-. pects? Unfortunately Xew Zealand was! not yet considered a manufacturing; country, largely because her secondary j industries had not yet reached Che export stage. Vet the 101G census showed that the products of those industries in that year were valued at I £45,454,184, while 57,823 persons were| employed in them, and £0,054,504 was paid in wages. Further, the capital 1 sunk in plant and machinery was £21,051,576. He could say without fotir of contradiction that any country, to be truly prosperous, must develop its secondary industries. Those of New Zealand had grown, in spite of. rather than because of, the interest and help of the people in general. TARIFF REFORM WANTED. Tho development of the natural resources of the Dominion, said t-ne speaker, required first of all a really live State Department of Industry, with an ample staff of export*. Such a department should investigate possibilities, furnish reliable data fur present and] new enterprise, ami keep Xew Zealandmade goods before the eye of the public. Next, there was needed a complete change in the method of compiling the Customs tariff, by the appointment of a permanent Tariff Board, with power to make temporary adjustments when (Parliament was in recess. It had been sai.l that the Industrial Association favoured a general increase in tariff's,.but tliis was not the ea«i\ It would advocate a reduction of tariff on goods that ooulri be proved by evidence to be Incapable of manufacture in the country. OUTIPUT PER WORKER. Lastly, on the question of efficiency, Mr. llarbutt quoted figures to show that round about 1907 and ]!»:)!) the annual output per average worker in -it! industries was £1747 in the United States, and only £(il7 in the United Kingdom, while the New Zealand output on the same tyi-sis of computation was £754. These figures, with olhers. showed that the American superiority of nearly three to »ne was due not -o much to greater natural resource- a-, to better methods — •the more extensive n-e of machinery and nf power to drive it. In the United States 1.01)0 workers used 2.400-horse power, us against 1,15'2-horsc power used by tiie same number in Great Britain. Tiie higher rate of iiuUnut naturally affected the wage question. I'cf.ire the war American wages were mi an average three times ns high a- in Britain, while, the output was about three times .is great. American labour we! -..med every possible improvement in tool.- and machinery, an.l was ready to make the utmost use of them to increase output. provided tint the hours of work did not e'xi'ecil nigh: pr r day. In Britain, on the other hand, there hud been a criminal conservatism and indifference to mnehani-i cal progress, together with a hostility. on tiie part of the workers to modern [ labour-saving- machinery, and in many; utM'. a deliberate "go <1 ny" policy, or re-, strictinn on output. If New Zealand "Was to keep a place in tiie industrial world, and carry (he burden of the war taxation, masters ami workers must combine singlemindedly in using t <•<• latest and most effective labour-saving devices. driven l.v the m..-t convenient anil economical power which nature had provided. With thi- combination, aided by proper financial support from the banks and the operations of a sympathetic government, ■there i d be no fear about the repatriation .if our soldiers or about the future genially. FARMER CAN'T STAND ALONE. N»f. C 11. I'oole. M.1., speaking at the same gathering, referred to the fact that in (lie United States industries were considered vit.i 1 tn the welfare of every community. Keen rural towns, h,- saii'lJ Winn iint'of their way to get industries! fstnl.lUlied by offering fact or v sites,| power, and s'„ „„. They did 'nn| feel -".'if.- without indii-i ri.-s. Tiie fanner Hi-re knew that he could not get on a*ng|..-li,in.|c!. an I tins would have to be eqtiallv reil'i-H in N'cvv Zealand. Water [".we-' niu-t "... ■! 'vrlnped. an I ihe country mn-: '~ t- ;,'.-: , i to ■maituf.i-tiirc p I. f" nn t- i.vvti ra -v m.ileiials. There "'ere great . 1:! 7:- - -!: i < - in the way of tariff revision, but n embers n-in'il lie more #:■' ive in • . civ vv iv .v lien they were tr i from tiie' pi'i-cnt wretched party compact, A IiANKKII'S VIKW-s". ftlr. 11. |ii'.(-:..!c:iii!. general maii.ig •!' nf tf;c Hank ..:" New /..■«!.■.:ul. -aid that -Mi". —arbtiti's iiouic- bad surprised ——• — c ,

agreed that everything possible should be l done to develop secondary industries. It was fur more important that the country should manufacture £1,000,000 worth of goods, and so reduce its imports by, that amount, than that it should increase; its exports by £1,000,000. The workers) who made the £1.000,000 worth of goods were provided with employment, and retained for the community all the wages paid. lie had found all over the world a demand for New Zealand travelling rugw. and he saw no reason why the small present export of these from Southern 1 mills should not be developed before long' lie saw difficulties in the way of getting' capital for industrial ventures, because! there were labour troubles ahead. He did not expect anything like an industrial revolution, but on the contrary, a better understanding in the end between masters and men. Mr. B. Buttle declared that so far from being unsuited for industrial development New Zealand was ideal both 1 iv climate and natural resources. The trouble now was shortage of labour and luck of population. The remedy, in his! view, was a carefully regulated immigration scheme, under which tho Govern-, ment would obtain guarantees from manti-' faenrers that they would employ a specified number of hands if the latter! came to the country. t