CANTERBURY INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7257, 17 January 1889, Page 3

CANTERBURY INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

The annual meeting of the Canterbury Industrial Association was held last night,; MrG. T. Booth, President, occupied the chair. There was not a very large attepdanceof members. ... , The Sechetakt read the Committee's annual report, which stated that the new rales of the Association -had printed; that the "conversazione was nofr the financial success it was expected to be, but through the generosity of many friends the conversazione was closed with a debit of 8s sd. A hundred and one members had paid their subscriptions for the period just ended. The report also referred to the actions of the Association in respect to the Customs tariff; change of rooms, retrenchment. Professor Bickerton'e lectures, Mr Dank's paper; intercolonial freetrade and the resolutions passed at the Intercolonial Freetrade Conference held at Adelaide; to the hope that the colony -would be ■ well represented in the produce department at the Paris Exhibition; to Mr Matson's proposals for the erection of a Hall of Commerce; to the revival of trade, and the lamentable droughts of Australia; to the very successful completion of Messrs Scott Brothers' locomotive contract; to the ostrich cnlfcure by Mr J. T. Matson, and congratulating him on his success: to the increase iii the business carried on by the Auckland Cement Company: to toe re-introduction into the market of Dunedin cement; to the manufacture of hydraulic HmeatOamaru; to the establishment of butter factories throughout the colony; to the impetus given to the native flax industry, by reason of the ruling high prices at Home; to the tendency towards the , grinding of wheat into flour for export, instead of shipping it away in its natural state; to the manufacture of glassware in Christchurch; and to the discovery of coal in the Castle Hill district, at a point easy of access when the Midland Railway is completed. The report also contains the following paragraphs:— ' '■'•'■ • ' - "Your Committee views with deep interest the steps that are being taken to secure the proper representation of Canterbury in Dunedin, and as several of our members are on the local Executive Committee, members of the Association may rest assured that the interests of manufacturers will not be neglected. At the same time, your Committee desire to urge strongly that the success of this Exhibition will be a matter of individual effort, and earnestly hopes that members will use every means in their power to secure a wide and general interest among the public, and especially among those connected with industrialproductions. Your new Committee will probably find work enough in this connection to keep them busily employed during the greater part of their year of office, and your retiring Committee feel that they cannot too strongly urge this duty upon them. Your Committee notes ! with pleasure that a decision has at last been arrived at by the Cabinet, and appointments of Railway Commissioners have/been made.. iThe three gentlemen ! appointed are colonial officials, and the I eves of the colony will be upon them. Your Committee consider it matter for gratification that the Government should have sufficient confidence in these genfclei men to place them in this responsible 1 position, and feeling that the credit of the i colony is to some extent in their hands, 1 desires that every possible assistance may be afforded them to enable them to carry out their duties successfully. The question of the Government Railway workshops will probably be revived now that these appointments have been made, and the incoming Committee will do well to consider the best mean* of bringing before the Commissioners their views on this point." The President, in moving the adoption of the ninth annual report, explained how it came about that the date of the annual meeting had been altered, and observed that what he had to say would be an expression of his own opinions only. He first alluded to the population of the colony, and the returns which had been published respecting immigration and emigration, and said that the figures for 1888 brought us face to face with a condition of things which was fortunately quite without parallel in our history, and which be hoped would continue to hold an anomalous position on our sheets of statistics. In twelve months, from December Ist, 1887, to December Ist, 1888, we lost 8,837 of our people. This meant additional taxation, contraction in breadstuff's, diminution in our wealth ivaA producing power. It was a serious matter and he was surprised at the apathy shown about it, nob only by private persons but by those; .in high public positions who might surely Tiave been expected to make some attempt to stop the draining away of the life blood of the colony. He hoped that on the reassembling of Parliament our representatives would turn their minds to the duty of attracting a new stream of immigration to this land. Our crying necessity was population, room for thousands of which could surely be found in oar goldflelds, coalfields, forests, fisheries, and agricultural districts. It was interesting to find how

closely the interests of the farmers were connected with the increase in the population. In 1883-4 when the total production of wheat wae 80,000,000 bushels, the consumption .was 10i bushels per head. In «86, when the production fell to 4,230,000 Mishels the colonial consumption was 4£ bushels per head. The proportion of export to production, however, had coutinued about the same throughout, and it seemed fair to conclude that with an increase of-a quarter of a million population, or, say, 30 we should have no wheat to export, and the price would be regulated by the local market. As regarded our manufactures, we were in a very creditable condition when compared with other colonies having larger population. He found that during the same year, we imported £2,000,000 of goods. AUowing 25 per cent, of this as not within the scope of our factories, a margin was left sufficient to effect an increase of a) per cent, on their operations. He also referre&totheDunedin Exhibitionasamatter which should be taken up with enthusiasm and made successful. Here> iewed the results of the Intercolonial Freetrade Conference, and considered that we should reap a far more than corresponding advantage if the Australian ports were thrown open to our produce. He could see no reason why we-should not enter into a union based upon intercolonial freetrade and a uniform Customs tariff. He concluded with a reference to the last paragraph in the report expressive of confidence in the speedy revival of trade throughout the colony, and trusted that at the end of the ensuing year the Committee would be able to report that the manufacturing and producing interests of the colony had advanced by veritable "leaps and bounds." He concluded by thanking the officers who had worked with him during the year, and moved the adoption of the report and balance-sheet. (Applause.) The balance-sheet showed that the receipts had amounted to £110 10s 4d, and the expenditure £10310s 3d, credit balance £1 0s Id. The liabilities amounted to £13 10s 10s.

Mr H. B. Kirk seconded the motion, and expressed a hope that the members would put their shoulders to the wheel to help on the objects of the Association. Mr Jones, M.H.R., said that daring the ten years of its existence the Association had done a great amount of service. Though the past twelve months had been quiet he endorsed the hope that in the course of next year there would be a great revival, especially with the holding of the Dunedin Exhibition, which ought to be made a success. The report had dealt with so many matters that one could not refer to them at length. He was glad to see that the Customs tariff gave general satisfaction. The attempt by Parliament to meet the question was a fairly honest one, and the ultimate result would be an increase in local productions. He did not think that the question of intercolonial freetrade would be affected at the present by . New Zealand, which would probably fall in with an agreement when the Australian Colonies had decided upon soß*a scheme. When it came about, he had no fear of New Zealand holding its own in manufactures and products. He did not agree with the remarks of the President when he alluded to the returns of the emigration and immigration going against us. When those returns were made, there were, he felfc sure, some thousands of New Zealanders either on the water or visiting Victoria as visitors only. Then again, the loss of our artisans was only a temporary loss, which would be rectified so soon as the building trades revived here. On the whole, -he thought New Zealand never had better prospects of a bright future. He had pleasure in supporting the motion. Mr J. L. Scott said it was to be deplored that something had not been done to prevent the exodus of people, and had it not been for the sudden rise in values there was no knowing how far it would have jrone on. However, he believed that within the next twelve months the balance Would be as much in our favor as it was now against us. In conclusion, he alluded t;o the President's speech as an exceptionally able one, and that Mr Booth deserved the hearty thanks of the Associa* tion for it. (Applause.) The motion was carried unanimously. The election of officers resulted a% follows:—President, Mr G. T. Booth; VicePresidents, Messrs H. B. Kirk and R. Buchanan; Treasurer, Mr H. Cariefct; Committee, Messrs H. A'Court, B. H. Banks, A. W. Beaven, J. Coles, T. Danks, J. Glanville, A. G. Howland, F. Jones, M.H.R., J. T. Mateon, J. L. Scott, J. Waller, and P. .Tenkins; Auditors, Messrs H. R. Webb and W. B, Mitchell. It was decided that the Committee's report and President's address should be printed inpamphlet form. Votes of thanks were carried to the officers of the past year, especially the Secretary, Mr H. Andrews, to Mr J. T. Matson for.the use of the room, and the proceedings closed. '