AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 305, 18 September 1908, Page 10

AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.

THE PROPOSED ADVANCE IN PRICES. (BT TEI.ECKAI'II.—SI'IXIAt COItItESrONOENT.J Ghristchurcb, September 17. A representative of the "Timaru Herald" was lately shown .i letter indicating that after tho end of this month all agricultural implements made and sckl in Canterbury would < be advanced in It was understood that an additional 5 per cent, would bo imposed, tho reason being the increased cost of iiianu- , facturo and raw material. A reporter who questioned somo Christchurch manufacturers i on tho subject learned that tho information was substantially correct. : Ono manufacturer said there was a general ! understanding among tho manufacturers : that tho new prices should como into forco on October 1. The increased prices were ;ib- ' solutoly lieccssary to tho industry, and there j was no' question of exploitation. J?or a long <! time the industry had not been doing too well, and recent awards had acccntuated the , position in tho form of increased wage 3, and ] as a. matter of fact tlip incrcaso had to bo i passed on. The increase was not 5 per cent, j It was calculated solely on tho increased cost 1 of production, and on thoso lines that were being made at tho samo cost as beforo there J would bo no increase. In tho caso of ploughs J the amount would bo 10s. oil about a £20 article. There would also bo an increase of 1 10s. on a roller which cost about £21 On ■ drills tbo increase would be greatest. Tho j price now was about £47, and on thorn the j incrcaso would be £li. Tho increases would 2 doubtless result in a decreased output, for . thero was no tariff protection to tho industry, i The manufacturers of Duncdin wero feeling < tho pinch worst at present, for they had two 1 awards, only one of which was now operating ? in Canterbury, but tho sccond was expected to come into forco locally soon. "Wo don't want tho trade to go to tho Yankees," ho 1 concluded, "but it is being driven there." Another manufacturer said that the chango would certainty moan a decrease in tho local output and increased importation. The importations were now steadily incrcasing, and where fifteen years ago only the raw material lwd been imported, it now paid ' local manufacturers to import certain lines.