TARIFF EXHIBITION

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 248, 14 July 1921, Page 6

TARIFF EXHIBITION

TO BE OPENED ON OCTOBER 22 EDUCATING MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT The Tariff Exhibition, to be held in tho Wellington Town Hall later in the year, was discussed at a meeting of the general committee of the Wellington Industrial Association last night. This exhibition has been promoted in order that members of Parliament may bo shown what New Zealand manufacturers are producing at the time when the Tariff Bill is under consideration. Tho following circular, which is being issued to manufacturers throughout Now Zealand, was before tho committee: — "The primary object of the exhibition is to educate the members of Parliament in what is actually produced in New Zealand. Personally conducted parties of .members of the House will he arranged on a definite programme by tho Department rtf Industries. The exhibition will also be open to the general public, <n.nd a special effort will be made to attract the colleges and secondary schools. Wo require, and must have, the assistance of every manufacturer in tho Dominion in our effort, and the occasion is of such importance that no industry must be left unrepresented.

“It has been many years since tho tariff was revised, and it may be equally as long before another revision may take place. As you are aware, a Tariff Commission set up by the Government, consisting largely of Customs officials, has been. round the country making inquiries, and the Minister of Industries has also visited many manufactories, but this exhibition will bring before the members of Parliament, who will really decide upon what is to >re done, the actual goods manufactured, in a form that they can see,, handle, and discuss. Graphs are being prepared showing the value of each product of each New Zealand industry, and the value of the imports of the same articles; also showing how many more people could bo employed nnd sustained if the ent ire product was manufactured here." The chairman (Mr. C. J. Ward) said ho had been advised that a suitable time for tho exhibition would be during October, and it had been decided that the opening date should be October 22. Tho scheme that had Wen laid down provided that exhibits should bear no relation to individual advertising. Trade association would select exhibits from their various members, and there wou.d bo no advertising of a personal nature, the object being simply to assist in the framing of a tariff of the kind required todupport Dominion secondary industries. Manufacturers who were not members of trade associations would have to bt? dealt with separately. Some arrangements would have' to bo made to prevent duplication in the cases of competing manufacturers. Circulars and plans had been sent to industrial associations and to trade associations. Tho Auckland and Dunedin Industrial Associations had set up committee's to interview manufacturers and make the necessary arrangements. ~ ... It was proposed that tho soldiers engaged in manufacturing goods under the repatriation scheme should be allowed to exhibit and sell their goods on the stage of the Town Hall during the exhibition. Mr. Ward said that already there was competition for stands, which .would be 6ft. and 12ft. deep. The cost would be about £2 per foot if the association erected the stands, or £1 per foot if the e - hibitors erected the stands. There would be some difficulty about the no advertising” rule, since some manufactured goods carried their own advertising, -while others did not. Tho point was binder consideration. It was proposed by the Department of Industries and Commerce that members of Parliament should be shown round the exhibition in systematic manner, so that none of the educative value of the display might be lost. No charge would be made for the admission of the public. j -u j The association, added Air. Ward. ha< ; been asked to co-operate with the Trades and Labour Council m f-nother exhibition of New Zealand goods. This second exhibition would be of an ordinary advertising kind, but its special purpose would be to boost New Zealand manufacturers. It would be apart from Tarl pJr*' hibition. The Trades and labour Council had offered to give a guarantee of £250, and the industrial associations would be asked to assist. Members of the committee suggested that the attempt to prevent personal advertising at the Tariff Exhibition would create difficulties. Some goods would not be shown in their usual form without advertising tho makers. Other goods were not distinctive in themselves, but manufacturers would wish to identity - themselves with their products. Mr. Ward said that goods would have to be shown in the form in which they were sold to the public. Air. C. J. Norwood urged that if space permitted it would be better to encourage competition rather than to prevent it. Tho decision announced by the chairman required very careful consideration. The question of local pride entered into the matter. The various centres would wish to show what their manufacturers were doing. Air. Ward said he recognised the difficulty. The trade associations could arrange impersonal exhibits, but individual manufacturers would expect to get the advertising value of their displays. It would be impossible to show many goods without their customary labels. Air. H. Alainland thought the original arrangement was the right one. The object was to show what the Dominion was manufacturing. It would be possible to show a collection of goods represiftitative of an industry, with a list of the manufacturers engaged in that industry. The exhibition could not be accommodated in the Town Hall if each manufacturer had his own display. The point was held over for consideration in the light of later developments. The election of exhibition committees was postponed until the next meeting .of the committee. Various details were discussed.