INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1255, 11 October 1911, Page 6

INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

TARIFF IUSVISION NECESSARY. The annual general meeting of tho Wei* lington industrial Association should havo been held last night, but alter waiting half-an-hour tor sullicient members to arrive to form a quorum, the members present decided to postpone tho meeting until Monday. The annual report referred mainly to tho recent exhibition held under tho control of tho association. Following aro somo of tho extracts on matters of general interest:— "Your committco do nqt wish to bo considered pessimistic, but it has to bo admitted that many of our manufacturers have still much to complain about, owing to strong competition from other countries, and the excessivo rfmount of our imports. For the Government year ended March 31 Inst, the twentieth annual report of the Department of Labour gives the following information concerning our factories

"Total number of factories registered; 1909-10, 12,302; 1910-11, 12.708 i incrcaso, M. Total number of workers engaged in factories: 1909-10, 77.50G; 1910-11, 78,790; increase, 9SI. The total wages paid in our factories for (lie year amounted to JC5,981,070, whereas in tho year 1910 tho amount was .£5,890,911, being an incrcaso for 1911 of JC90.129. If our peoplo will peruse tho returns referred to in tho Department of Labour Annual Report, it will prove of educational vnluo in learning what our manufacturers are producing in the Dominion. There is vory littlo which wo arc not ablo to manufacture, and 'yet it is surprising when wo refer to our import Sgures, and tho nature of the imports. Our imports for the year 191! amounted to no les-s a sum fhon •iJ17.713.183, being an increase of 4192.359, CM over the previous year. Exports: The amount of our exports for 1911 amounted (o J121.5t3.900. while in 1910 they amounted to .£21,491.809, showing an increase of J?j2.091 for 1911. _ It is sab'sfactory to record that the Prime Minister in hie Budget declared his intention lo do all he can to bring about the ninehnceded improvement in some of our languishing industries. Recently, n strong deputation of employers and employees waited upon the Prime Minister, and convinced him of the necessity for a revision of tho Customs tnriil". He has promised to bring forward proposals during the next session of Parliament. Any reference to an incrcaso of Customs tariff nt once sets numbers of our peoplo up in arms—-especially our farmers. Would Hint all our manufacturers were doing as well as our.farmers.

"Wo claim to bo a manufacturing country, but what we are manufacturing is as nothing compared to what wo could manufacture if given the assistance required, viz., to bo able lo compete with the imported manufactures. Tiio.ve is no dcubt bul, that ninny of out skilled workers have lately been leafing otir shores, because of intermittent employment" 5