MANUFACTURERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 280, 25 November 1937, Page 8

MANUFACTURERS.

SEE ONLY ONE SIDE.

IMPORTERS' CONTENTION. M FALLACIOUS ARGUMENTS." "The Manufacturers' Association does not always state the facte as they are; it give* one side and not the other," declared Mr. W. A. Boucher to the Council of the A-uekland Chamber of Commerce today, commenting on n Htirtemcnt made yesterday by the retiring president of the Auckland Manufacturers' Association, Mr. F. N. Ambler. Mr. Ambler had traced what he considered ii detrimental effect of a flood of imports on New Zealand secondary industries.

Soon after the upward trend of business after the depression, said Air. Boucher, the association canvassed the I)oininion from one end to the other for trade. Buying power hud increased enormously and the association was unable to meet the requirement* of the public. Orders placed overeea* were placed only after the association had had ( its fair ehare. He mentioned tariffs protecting domestic industries and said ' that now there was an outcry against the countries which supplied the wants in New Zealand. It eeemed to him that some of the industries were a little inefficient in their methods of operation when one considered the already high protection on imported goods. If the manufacturers could not (ill all their orders, importers should be given tinop|H>rtunity to import and supply them. To a query by the chairman. Mr. W. R. Fee. Mr. Boucher said that no action could l>e had from bodice representing the importing interests. Devaluation of Pound. Mr. .T. Hislop said that manufacturer* bemoaned the fact that Australian producers had invaded New Zealand markets. He contradicted the claim which had been put forwaftl by manufacturing interest* that the devaluation of the

pound was an added protection to industries. If it were on a proper valuation New Zealand manufacture™ would be in the position of reducing cost* by a third, and would put Australia off the Now Zealand market. There would be #o trouble if the pound Were on parity with sterling.

Last year New Zealand exported 464,000,000 worth of goods, added Mr. Hislop. She would be paid for them only by imports, and even were importation to be "topped or curtailed exports could not be stopped.

Mr. G. Jackson also expressed the opinion that only one—the most favourable—side was presented by the . association. He quoted the instance of recent claim* concerning the boot industry, which was stated to be suffering from competition from abroad. That did not reconcile the fact that production increased within the Dominion, as proved by the Abstract of Statistics.

"The association just picks out certain statement* to make its case good," he said. Its arguments were fallacious and hollow, and nothing but a lever towards encouraging the Government to raise its tariffs. "What do they care for unemployment?" h« asked. "During the slump they put off hand*, and they would do the tame to-morrow if prices went down."

"We are not judging their motives," said Mr. Fee. "Leave that out."

Mr. A. O. Lunn said the manufacturers' attitude might be mitigated by the fact that they had to contend with shorter hours and increased wages.