The Dominion. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1909. ENCOURAGING LOCAL INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 650, 29 October 1909, Page 6

The Dominion. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1909. ENCOURAGING LOCAL INDUSTRY.

Some very large questions are raised by the dosire of tho. Trades and Labour Councils, that goods-manufactured in Now Zealand should be branded to show the placo of their manufacture. ? A. deputation 'from the :Oouncils found tho • Minister' iot Labour very sympathetic when it : approached him on Wednesday with a inquest for legislation dealing with the mattor, and we can hardly conceivo it possible that there are many people who Will oppose tho movement. The. importer, of .foreign goods cannot objoct, for he •knows quite well that as it is rhorit that soils goods, .the relativity of '.merit "will remain unchanged by the clear labelling of manufacturers. Tho local/',' manufac-' turcr knows also that if- he turns out -.a'good article it will sell, while a poor articlo; will go/a-begging) ho can lose fiothingf, and can gain ,much, by announcing .tho local origin of his, goods. ' The 'interests.' of' tho local ■ worker are : the same; as. those of tho local manufacturer. As for tho general, consumer, he . may. hot. greit | tly l '?are. whether the Now 'Zealand goods aro identifiable or not; ho has nothing to lose irom tno introduction of the proposed " local label," for/his purchases are ~ in . any ,::case ' made ■'S6lely with an "eye. to-getting'tho 'best, bargain.; Eferybbdy, thoroforc, .should;be quite ;cOnt6h't'ito ;seo New Zealand"goods'so :lahelied as-to be rccognisably-of New .Zealand/ miihufacturo. It is quite possible that ;[ somC!,,of 'those who. aro.'loudest 'in their concern for the encouragement of local :■ industry- have other,/thoughts in feir head than, a simple desiro to afford tho local products every /opportunity of reaping, the reward of merit. Many of them/bolieyo,in the industrial equivalent of the doctrine'of " art' for' art's sake." They .desire • " local. industry for local industry's sake."

We need ! hardly say that wo are as anxious as anybody to sco our local industries' expanding and flourishing;,'indeed,, we are of those-whoso goodwill towards local industry; is" of that keener sort which' .would like to seo our industries,so strong and energetic as not-to roquii'o artificial protection- and tariff nurture. But " local, industry for local industry's ; sake " ■ is; : a false doctrine, which, pushed to its full longth, would spell industrial ruin and economic starvation.'Thoro are Some industries which it would be highly unprofitable to. es> tablish in. New Zealand, some goods which it pays ;us to import, inasmuch as the labour that would. bo' required to manufacture them can be utilised to infinitely 'greater advantage in some. other direction. Any worker will : jealiso this if he reflects upon his reason for not making his own clothes ,and- boots; it pays him batter to. let someono.else make them for him. There are many, however, who ignore this simple truth, and' who ■ ap-' pear to say. that it is always best to buy the local article, regardless of all considerations of Cost or quality, and that it is always'wise therefore, to" assist any local industry' at all. r . But it would obviously be foolish to pay £1 for a local article if the foreign product were just as good and could be had for 15s. By means of a, high tariff, of course, the price of any foreign article whatever can be mado so high that the consumer: cannot buy it. The question, therefore, is not one of patriotism only; it is.a question of 'good business. There is little real patriotism ih a policy directed towards forcing tho, community to apply its labour wastefully ■

As a matter of fact, we believe, there is nothing in tho suggestion-so often put forward • that thero is &n unwarranted prejudice, against' local goods. ' Tho consumer is chiefly.desirous of getting value for his, money, and if he can find an article which is satisfactory in price and quality he'will not care whether it is made in London,' New York or Welling-, ton.. One possible advantage of the brand idea is that, othor things being equal, tho purchaser will choose the New Zealand article, Our own opinion is that the only prejudice in the matter than can bo found is a' prejudice against bad' bargains without respect to geography; What bur manufacturers have to do is constantly to improve the quality and price of their goods. They have already achieved some notabje successcß in this direction. Their > 'great"." difficulty, of course, arises from the checks that the. Legislature has imposed upon industrial efficiency. Thc.v are able to: pass on i to the consumer a considerable part of the extra cost of production ! arising from high wages and limited output, but they oro nod always, able to expand thoir ftc- ' tlviticß as thoy ought. 'Thoro is no strong

reason against thp introduction of thi> :No ( w Zealand", liibbl; but it c would bo foolish to expect any very largo gain from its introduction. It would doubtless as» Bist into public notice. some meritorious .products that the consumor has been rather, neglecting, . but it will not help to sell inferiority, Morit will always win its way in the long run, and unless there is merit behind'tho label the consumer, with rare exceptions! will bo unmoved by any appeal to his patriotism.