BOOKBINDING AND PUBLISHING.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14658, 6 May 1913, Page 10

BOOKBINDING AND PUBLISHING.

The business of the larger booksellers and stationers embraces many departments, and the manufacturing side of the business forms an important industry- In Christchurch there are many firms in this business. They are flourishing, and as long as the population continues to increase there is a corresponding expansion of trade, but from a manufacturing point of view the industry is on the decline, for although business is increasing, a great bulk or the material required is being manufactured in. England and imported to .New Zealand, whereas in the past these I articles were manufactured locally. *no j causes which have brougiit about this I state of the industry were explained by the manager of one of the leading Lhristchurch firms, and his remarks went to show the cause can be located in labour troubles, tp until the last two or threo years the different kinds or manufacturing work were carried out here, but he declared so many impositions had been placed upon linns that they now found it was cheaper to do the work at Homo and import it than to manufacture here. He instanced kinds of work which wero once done by girls, but the labour laws had compelled men to take the place of girls, and many different laws wero brought m, which, he contended, harassed the manufacturer. Consequently printing, publishing, uook-binding, and rnaiiy other kinds of work have now been discontinued here to a great extent, and consequently the industry has decreased instead of grown. This firm's business here was once the head, but now it is the tail, xhe shortage of labour has also assisted to retard the progress of the industry. In this industry it is impossible to secure sufficient workers, and it was stated that if the supply was equal to the demand the amount of local manufacturing could bo greatly increased. As to the future of the industry, the. manufacturer would not say whether he thought the industry would continue to decline or whether it would in some measure, at any rate, retrieve ita former position. But he emphatically declared that under present conditions it was cheaper to import from Home than manufacture locally, and he said that the outlook would have to improve. The statistics covering this industry are comprehensive, accounting for the different branches of printing, publishing, and bookbinding, and also newspapers. Of the 154 businesses in JNew Zealand in 1896, 20 were in Canterbury, employing 449 males and 61 females, paying £49,152 in wages, and producing an output valued at £83,010. By 1901 the number of establishments in Canterbury had increased to 35, but in 1906 the number had only grown to 37, employing 659 males and 133 females, paying £97.477 in wages, and producing an output valued at £238,706. The opinions expressed at the outset are supported in some measure by the fnct that in 1911 the number of establishments in Canterbury hnd decrcvised by throe, while the employees comprised 802 males and I4if females, the amount of wages paid reached £107,715, and that the output reached £280,679. Similarly it is in-, toresting to note that while the value of imports in 1896 was £315,5-19 their value in 1911 was £795,896.