INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13709, 16 April 1910, Page 12

INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

MEETING OF EXECUTIVE

COMMITTEE

The Executive- Committee of tho Canterbury Industrial Association met last Present—Messrs R. Buchanan (in the chair), AY. W. Charters, R. Badger, Dean, Yon •Sierakowski, A. Kaye, A. W. Beaven, Peppier, and C. R. Ford (secretary). Apologies for absence were received from Messrs J. A. Frostick. J. Mitchell, F. E. Jones., and F. Cooper. NEW'ZEALAND-MADE GOODS. As it had been noted at the previous meeting that the Harbour Board was advertising for tenders for clothing for the harbour-master's .staff, and that Now Zealand-made c««ds were not specified, the secretary was then instructed to write to the Board stating that the committee felt there was absolutely no need to k<> outside of New Zealand for this claw of goods, as Dominion-made clothing could not be. beaten anywhere. The committee further asked* tho Board to cancel the advertisement, and have a clause inserted in the specifications that the. clothing must be "of New Zealand manufacture. A promise to that effect had been made to tho Association by the public bodies of Canterbury some time ago. The Harbour Board, under date of February 14th, replied that the Board had called for local tenders, and had always done so for the past three or four years. The standard cloth used was chiefly Fox's serge, and in future the Board would consider the question of the cloth used being manufactured in New Zealand, providing it was of equally as £ood quality as that imported. The uniform jerseys were at present manufactured in New Zealand, and also the gold badges for the caps. Writing under date of March 4th, tho Board notified that alternative tenders had been called for the supply of uniforms for the harbour-master's staff, either mado of New Zealand or British cloth or sers;e, with the result that tenders had been accepted for the present year for three uniform suits made of British cloth for the harbourmaster, tho pilot, and master of the tuc Canterbury. The balance, namely, eighteen Miits," for the harbour-master's staff and the tug staff, were to be made of Kaiapoi and Now Zealand eerge. also jerseys and trousers of New Zealand manufacture.. The chairman and Mr Kaye remarked that the steps taken by the committee had evidently had a good effect. It was decided to acknowledge tho Harbour Board's reyly with thanks. LAKE COLERIDGE. The chairman reported on the visit recently paid to Lake Coleridge by representatives of the City Council and various other local bodies. He said thai it was evident that there was a very great amount of power there that only -wanted hatriessing. By hanking up ofle end of the lake they could increase the power by 35 per cent. They would have to assist the City Council to put thfoilgh a- Bill, as it seemed that the Government wanted to lay their hands on this source of supply. If the Government was going to stop the City Council from-using the power, the-h they must forCo the Government to do something, and not, allow it to delay for an indefinite period. In reply to Mr KayG, the chairman said that the CitY Council intended, to promote a Bill nnd thus force the hand of tJio Government. People in Christchurcn tte*e waiting for power and could not get it.; Mr Charters said. the. Governmeiit must either" allow the City Council to use- the power or go on with the project th«*mselvea. The Government mtlst not ect the dog in the manger. . Mr Kaye proposed, Mr Charters seconded, and it wa* agreed unfcnimously : —"That this Association urges the City Council io take immediate stepsto promotedifrinfi the coming session of Far* liamenfc a Bill to secure the ureter rights from Lake Coleridge find other the electrical power being urgently tfanted for the development of our manufactures," : INDUSTRIES AVEfiK AND ffilS ESSAY COMPETITION. A newspaper report of industries Week iii Sydney -was W4 before the meeting, ffona which it appeared that the function had been fc pronounced success, ; Ifcgrct was expressed by those present at last night's meeting that the Christchurch manufacturer* did not see fit to support the schemefurther. .-■'-. Mr tbit it sefrmed.a foregone oortolusion that Industries Week vould be drtwwjed thisi yefcf 8 The whote fanetidn had been ft great succesa last year, but an especially successful portion of it had been the school . fejßiiy Competition. Hβ thouttht thai cr«n>tliough Industrie* Weetf wae not run this year, the Association raittht ccc its ne&y flttur to put aside Sufficient money to oirrjron the •feeeay eompetitien. By having tho ehlk dun's attention drawn to the- Various prooeaw* of manufacture and interest* Jnji them in New Zealand industries/ vtry great benefit was caused both to. .New; Zealand manufacturers and td, -the; children; He moved to tho effect that en/ essay competition for/ school children on tho same lines as last yftftr b« Ittid this year; that manufactuxers be asked to throw open .their" ftotofie* to eohoql children, say, for three days; and that tho secretary communicate with tho school autlwrities. Mr Peppier seconded tho motion. . Mr Charters said he would support the motion if tho mover and seconder would agree to odd the -words "Provided contribute to the priie money." The secretary remarked that last year the number of mannfaotxirers that allowed tbe children to* inspect their factories was not nearly representative enough. Bomb i said the visit of-.'.the. children would interfere with the work of the factories and the time that tvoukl he lost conld not be spared; others stated r that. there were portions of the work that were confidential and could not be-thrown, open for general inspec tion. • . '.""'.....•'..:-. Mr Badger and Mr Peppier agreed to the addition proposed by Mr Charters, and the motion as amended was agreed to. ■..,.- 'TECHNICAL COLLEGE. The application from MrJ.H. Howell, director of the Technical College, ior iUe Association's usual grant of £10, was agreed to. Mr Peppier, a representative of the Association on the Technical College Board of Governors, reported on the work of the institution. He said that everything connected with the college had progressed by leaps and bounds. They -Brero compelled to enlarge the colici f j* 0 *."*• with tbc work . *»<* had !ff>Mnn Government for a subsidy of The Chairman said the Industrial Association could take credit for helping to start the Technical College, and the Association.were pleased to hear that the buildings had become too small. There was a great future before the institution. M f . Pe Pp le F Mid tl,e competition for tha Association's gold medal was not very keen; but it was agreed to present a similar medal again this year. NORTH v. SOUTH. Reference was made to the statements published in North Island papers regarding tho South Ldand beina lavoured in the matter of Government expenditure at tho expense of the North . Island. .. Mr Charters said lie had been going ifltti fi«t»r*e connected with this matter, but had not yet completed his investlcatwme. He foand that in last year's ikeznates £518,000 had been set a&ide

for roads in the North Island, and £252,000 for roads in the South Island, of which rapacious Canterbury had obtained £19,000. The sum of £25,u00 hac! been allocated for tourist and health resorts— £20,0G0 for the North Inland and £5000 for the South—of which Canterbury got £500. In the matter of public buildings the only allocation for Christchurch last year was £5000 for the new Customhouse, and that had not been touched yet, while for contracts to be carried out in Wellington and Auckland in public buiTdinge, there would be about £100,000 to be spent this year. This meant that of an unauthorised expenditure of over a million pounds, the South Island got a quarter of a million, of which Canterimrv got not murh over £'24,000. If they went right through the Estimates, the result shown would, he thought, 1)6 very different front what the North Island papers stated. The Chairman said that it was from lire Industrial Association that the movement in farour of the Midland railway orisinated. From the North Island came n cry that this line must h<> stopped. But'that was impossible; the highest military authorities stated that the railway would bo of great strategic value, ami besides that its fCHipletioTi would result in the cheapening of timber and roal. Mr Charters said Wellington would lose trade when the line was completed, and in raising the cry of North v. Boiith. Wellington people were simply trying to protect themselves from threatened loss of business. Mr Charters said he would complete his investigations regarding Government expenditure and report more fully to a future ' The Chairman said that the West Oast Railway League was still in existence. He would interview Mr li. J. Marriner, of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, and see what that body intended to do in tho matter. GENERAL. Mr T. H. Davies was elected a member of the committee. It was decided to ask Mr F. E. Jones, a former president, for his photograph, in order that it might be added to the Association's collection.