CITY INDUSTRIES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18923, 11 February 1927, Page 14

CITY INDUSTRIES.

' • I ' TOUR OF INSPECTION. j MINISTER'S BUSY DAY. j ,>pvcrul L liristchurch factories wore j vNiteii yesterday by the Hon. Mr Mcl»o'.l. Minister for Industries and Commerce, the inspection taking place , under the auspices of the Canterbury i Manufacturers' Association. Mr Mci Leod was accompanied by Sir. 11. Heaton Khodes, the Hon. Air Witty, tlie Hun. Mr Moore. M.L.C'.'s, Messrs 11. S. S. Kyle. K. -I. Howard, H. Hol- ! bind. M.P.'s. •)■ W. Collins (secretary of the Department of huhi-unes and Commerce,!, A. Heaven, A. Uradley, K. 11. Marriner, I). Colquhoun (ManuiVcturers' Association), and A. W. Mulligan (secretary to the Minister^. The various operations in the manufacture of wire and fencing were witin the factory of the Cyclone Feme Company, in Montreal street, where the manager, Mr Owers, conducted the party over the works. Mill. Mill-son undertook a similar duty in tin- wicker goods factory of Messrs 11. liiir.-on and Hons, in Harhadocs street. It was explained that a large amount of the willow used in making this class of goodf- came from the Wainiakariri riverbed. Brudt Factory. Over an hour was spent in the large brush ware factory of .Messrs Buntings, Ltd.. -Mr I. Woolf (manager) and -Mr A. West (assistant manager) explaining the treatment of the-materials from their raw state to tlie finished article. It uas noticed that in 0110 room only five o| the fifteen machines were working. and the firm may have to reduce its staff still further. It is claimed that, this factory is the largest of its kind in Australia or New Zealand. From 0-3 to 100 bauds were employed at the time when business was at its best during the war, but at present the number is at least twelve less. .Morning tea was served in the staff's lunch-room. Mr Woolf thanked the Minister for his visit. The manufacturing industry, he remarket! should be known as the Dominion's primary industry. The time was coming when the cities were going to carry more weight than the country. He hoped the inspection would do siood. Air McLeod wan presented with a lirosli with bis initials worked into the bristle, and each of the other members nf the nurty with a shaving brush. Weston Mro=.' works in Hereford street proved verv interestinrj. the display of leather goods manufactured 011 the premises attracting a great deal of attention. Scope for Artists. Several lady ex-students of the School of Art arc responsible for the handpainting of designs on tho .suede calendars and other articles made in this material. Mr Heaven, president of the Manufacturers' Association, presided at tho luncheon at Uallantyne's in connexion with the Minister's visit. In .the afternoon the furniture factory of Messrs Archbold Bros., Manchester street, was inspected, Mr K. Archbold and Mr J. McCracken conducting the party through the works, ft was stated that the trade in locally manufactured furniture was not very brizht at present, but so far no drastic reductions in staff had been necessary. "Austrian" Chairs. The visitors were shown samples of chairs made locally 011 tho Austrian pattern. Only the scats arc imported, and they como from Esthonia. Tlie manufacturer, Mr A. E. Marriott, claims that he has greatly reduced the importations of this type of chair. At Messrs P. and D. Duncane' works, which were next visited, it has been necessary to reduce hands, and the present total employed is only about ! 70, or 30 below tho average. Messrs J. S. Duncan. J. Keir, and L. L. Cordcry showed the party over tho various departments. Mr McLeod was very interested in the manufacture of agricultural implements. Afternoon tea was served at Messrs Skeltou, Frostiek, and Co.'s., and Mr J. A. Frostiek, in according Mr McLeod a welcome, spoke at some length on the conditions prevailing in the manufacture of footwear. He referred to the monopoly in machinery of an American trust, and the system it has of leasing machines to manufacturers. If t|ic industry was worth retaining, he said, something would have to be done, as it was hi a perilous position and not paying its way. There was no intention to urge an unduly high tariT, but imports did not add to the wealth of the country. Although it was not his intention to refer at any length to the tariff question, he hoped that all the facts would be adduced. Mr McLeod said the Government had done, its best to form an unbiased Tariff Commission. Personally he would not appoint a farmer to a similar commission of enquiry affecting the farming industry. His present mission was to ascertain the degree of efficiency in the secondary industries, and other particulars regarding finance which Hero necessary. In the subsequent inspection of the factory was ascertained that the staff was 50 per cent, below the maximum. . /lay has been mapped out for Mr McLeod to-day. and in addition to receiving an important deputation, he will visit a larpe number of local works. At night he will leave for \\ ellinr»ton. OUTLOOK FOR FUTURE. "SPIRIT OF PESSIMISM." Tariff problems were touched 011 last evening at a gathering of manufacturers in Dixieland attended by the Hon. Mr .McLeod, .Minister for Industries and Commerce. Mr A. W. Beaven, president of tho Manufacturers' Association, occupied the chair. The lion. Mr Nosworthy, Postmaster-General, was also a guest. Included in the very large attendance wero several members of Parliament and members of the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Association. The Hon. Mr Nosworthy thanked the Association for its invitation to him | to be present. As a Canterbury man, j born and bred. 110 realised the" vast importance of the .secondary industries i and tho province. I firms which were known and appreciated i iat ] their headquarters in this j City, and they had done their share 1 for the farmers. He remembered j "lien almost all our implements were imported, but suggestions had been made to the firms regarding improvements The eompanics had lieen quick to t.-UAC tip the idea, and to-day our agricultural implements were as !»o.>d ! as those made in any other country. "Tlie Fair Thing." ! 1 Ills colleague and the (iovernment ! were prepared to do tlie fair thin" l.y I the manufacturers. Wo had not" the j facilities for mass production, hut what had been achieved nas a gooil omen for the future, i "I have had an instructive time t.> J day with Mr McLeod." said the Hon. . Mr Moore. M.L.C. The president was I to hj" congratulated on his temperate j speech. Canterbury was in an exccl- , lent petition for manufactures, with its I.akn Coleridge power. P»y the portfolio? 1 hat lie held .Mr Mcl/jod would '

be able to hold the scales fairly between the two industries. He would „ive the manufacturers a fair deal. "I „;<l, vo»r secondary industries every -uere-s." concluded .Mr Moore. The«e sentiments were echoed by the Hon Mr Hudda. Country settlers Here looking to Chri.stchurcli to help Mime of the rural districts out of their difficulties, lie said. It had monopolised inanv of the industries which formerly flourished in the country In everv respect the interests of the primarv and secondary industries were bound up tojicthor. and we were On the ore of better days. Within :)0 years Cliristchiirch must have an additional N'pO.OOO of population. At the Crossroads. '•When 1 am Minister for Industries and Commerce." said Mr E. J. Howard. M.l'.. "you will be just as anxious to hear me as yon are to hear Mr McLeod. What he says to-day is done bv Cabinet to-morrow." New Zealand was at the crossroads, and it bad to be self-supporting to a large extent, li we depended in future years 011 articles imported from overseas which could well be manufactured here, it would he little short of disastrous. The Dominion had tho responsibility of making a way for itself, and he believed the Pacific would plav a great part in the world. If Fiji was to bo the centre, and not New Zealand, the people of this country had lost the spirit of tlie pioneers. We had a great deal still to do in agriculture by the application of water. We were only at the front door of progress, and he deplored the spirit of pessimism, which produced unemployment. Ho condemned the statements of bankers that the bottom had fallen out of the country and the ship was leaky. ".Mr I). G. Sullivan, M.P., said he had been against. Mr McLcod's action 111 tnkinc his two portfolios, but felt inclined now to revise his opinion. It would lie unwise to obseuro the fact that, there had been differences between the primary and secondary industries. If Mr McLeod could reconcile these differences ho would bo doing a great service. Tho second industry in Now Zealand, sawmilling, provided an instance of his difficulties. If it was proposed to increase the tariff a mass of evidence would be produced to show that it would be detrimental to other industries. Tho same thing wa.s true of all industries. Unemployment. Unemployment could bo overcome only by the development of our secondary industries. l'htj interest on our debts could be met only out of exports, but in lato years tho margin between exports and imports had been too small. He suggested a continuous propaganda in favour of tho purchase of New Zealand-made goods, lfc was his hop® that tho secondary industries would continue to grow. 'There is a spirit of pessimism, and it should not be encouraged," said Mr 11. Holland. M.P. "Wo havo overcome far greater difficulties in tho past, when tlicro was 110 running to the Government, but sclf-rclianeo and a spirit of co-operation." There were anomalies in tho Customs tariff whiob he hoped would bo eliminated. The country would get over its present depression, but only by co-operation and tho right spirit. Liquor, tobacco, and motor-cars were responsible for a great deal of imports, and he doubted whether we could afford to bo so extravagant as we had been in recent years. "It was an eye-opener to me to-day to see the extent of our secondary industries," said Mr H. S. S. Kyle, M.P. "They must thrive as well as our primary industries.*' After Mr McLeod had addressed tl'ose present, a social hour was ipsnt.