"OUR OWN."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 618, 22 September 1909, Page 5

"OUR OWN."

THE INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION. AXXGAT, MEETING. The anniial meeting of tlie AVellihgtbn Pro.vincial-. Industrial Association was held last ovening, Mr. A. W. Mewtou (president) in the chair. The, annual report states, , inter alia:- 1 It has to be.admitted that, during tlie year under review, trade depression has been somewhat marked throughout the Dominion. Our .industries show fairly, good results in Government official returns, but nevertheless our manufacturers have just cause to deplore tho fact that.tliey have had to dispenso with many hands, owing to slackness of trade. Our imports, in many cases, are , much larger than they need be. ; By reference to an official return ;.printed in connection-with the report-on New Zealand Industries,. Week, it,will be seen that we should'be a fairly self-supporting country, yet we find thnt many thousands of pounds' worth of goods are imported annually, which can be made in tho Dominion. If peoplo Ijiiiight New Zealand articles, the state of. the unemployed'labour market would not be what it has lately been. .Manufacturers, instead of being able to give employment to the number of workers they would like-to, have been seriously, handicapped owing to: excessive importations, and have had to. reduce their staff of workers, and have been invited to financially assist by contributing to tho unemployed relief fund. It is to "be.hoped that fhe'matter of,encouraging our own industries will receive the earlyand serious consideration of Ministers and members of Parliament early in tho coming session.. '■ ■ ... : . ... > ,Wool.—Xhe; quantity of wool exported in* 1908 wns £1G2,515,4811b., valued at being ■a. decrease, of 9,117,11i1b. on the quantity ex-

ported in the previous yearj- while prices realised were below expectations. . J'Yuzen 'Meat-There has been a slump in tins .industry, prices in London being much lower than usual. The total value of meat J?ffif«u f" T Wi * ': JC3 ' 118 . 515 ■■ against J.A,l2o,Ghi for the previous year. ° l'honmutu : Pibro.-Tlie quantity of phornuulivnbro exported in ■ 1308 was 17,403 tons, ■£ IW7 , f 9 & r f hile tho ? Uantity VWM : lK* ■« -v tons/.: valued at .£832,068. Official Tear Book wo ■earn that the market price of phormiu'm fibro is controlled by tho supply of.Manila hemp, of which there was an exceptionally large output m iaus, ana ruling prices -were comparatively Ne'w ttd q p?oduct S *? !n faTOUI ' ° f *« School, New Site.-The Technical Education, Board, and its directors have solec ed-a;now..si(«,,for-tho school. It consists of Wallace: Street,:, John Street, Hutchison M,™ Tn lsht S^^ t -' His Worship §£ Major (Dr.. Newman) has been asked by tho b ?ard to.use; with the City Counfhri, 0 -fe T ° a .Bill, introduced to Parliament during the-coming session to enable'the board .to acquire tho^cite-,Th e ;-board'will' interview m^Wf 5 ti, f ° r Edu ,9 at '?n regarding ways and means for- the erection'-of the new• building, the cost of-which.is set-down by Mr. La Trobo director and secretary of the school) at £34,368, but he. states that,, if found riooessary, tho S9-m ■ tl )?X b !"W>nß'.-could' bo reduced to . It is lioped that the full amount may I> B arranged/for, in" order that tho new building may . ber thoroughly up, to date. '. Life Mcmber.-JJr.-Peter' Hutson, one of our old!st members, and a past president of the association, has been made a life nidmber, in recognition of past services." '•■ .PowelliEed.Wood Process.-This is one of our new industries, and it promises to be ono of considerable importance. The ■™h ™, situated at Rangafaua, Main Trunk Hno Tho system of Powellised ■ woodi prevents dry rot, eradicates' the borer, and, it is claimed prevents timber from shrinking. ' ;„ f fe^io I, "' show<!d ", abilitics alno«ntl g w>K il° 19-?"I 9 -?" »?<• «P«n<liture amounting to 18s. Bd., which left a balance of Os. 9d.; : to credit on the year's working-. Tho accumulated funds of the association were shown as .£2ll 3s. lα. : •■The-, report and balance-sheet as read wero ' ,2P - »-?i n motion,of Mr. Thos. Ballinger. ; The following officers were elected for tho ; ensuing year Mr. ,E. Bull; vicepresidents, Messrs. S. S. Williams and L. It.' PaTh-idge; general committee, Messrs. L. Jones, J; D. Anderson, H. Hurrell, M. Martin' ,T ■ Ballinger; E. Kupli, A. W. Newton, H. Seaton,■ F, C.: Crease, A. Browne,.W. Cable, H. Head, D. Eobertson, A. Boss/. J. Smith, B. ,I O1 ? 1 1 S 1 V l ¥- f- N °rton, C. Palliser, W. Hopbrk, -Vf. Orabtree.i J. P. Luke S Bricc, A. Blanton; treasurer/Mr. E. G. Bardie Shaw; auditors, Messrs. J. S. Barton and W. C. Stephens. . ■ . I Mr.' J. Fleming was elected a member of the association. ' . . ■ .: I _It was reported-that the Technical School Board had appointed a committee to go'into tho matter of tbo joint ownership of-the building in Victoria Street, which is to-be given 1 up when the Technical School is moved to the new site at. Newtown. The Technical School Board Committee is:—Messrs. T. Ballincer J p -, r Llll ?f. D- M'Laren,-and J. G. W. Aitken.' Mr.:BaUinge.r gave a resume of the position, which' was to tho effect 'that the association handed over .£I3OO towards tho erection of .% building for technical education, which, provided also for accommodation fortho association, and a legal document was drawn up by Mr. Brandon giving the association a claim on the building. To support that tho association'had its name placed on the building in plaster, and, , further, the- association had justpassed aii .account for, the. insurnncn of the building:. If t.ho.v had.no-claim on the building, the association would not be paying tho premium. Tho trouble , was not with the Technicar Education Board, but' with .'tho Education Board. He proposed'that Messrs B. Bull, A. W. Newton, 5..-S. Williams, and H. Hurrell as committco to' : meet tho one set up by the Technical School Board. This was seconded and adopted. The annual grant of £25 was passed for payment to the Technical School Board, to.be paid* on the'due date. The following were appointed the association's representatives on tho Wellington Employers' Association's Parliamentary Committed—Messrs. H. F. Allan, S. S. William* and 11. n. Seaton.. . . " ; . Mr. Hodgson proposed that for the future tho association should have an annual dinner, to'which the Prime' Minister, Ministers, and Parliamentary representatives should .be invited,,and that the charge for tho same bo ss. The .chairman was of opinion that such functions in the past -hud not had tho desired effect. They bad invited' the Ministers before, but had nover got much out of them. After a desnltorydiscussiou, the matter of nu annual dinner was hit to the incoming committee for consideration. ' • - -