DOMINION INDUSTRIES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 301, 14 September 1921, Page 6

DOMINION INDUSTRIES

IMPORTANCE EMPHASISED COMING TARIFF EXHIBITION The annual meeting of the Wellington Industrial '• Association was held last night. The president, Mr. C' J. Ward, was in the chair. Tho report referred to the importance of tho manufacturing industries, concerning which recently published statistics showed that 72,889 persons were employed in industries and 305,040 persons were maintained thereby. The wages bill for the year ended March 31, 1921, totalled .£11.629,406; tho value of the material used was £45,805,934; and the manufactured value w-as £66,283,488. The investment in land, plant, and buildings amounted to £33,436,120. „ “The most important matter.' in hand," stated tho report, "is the New Zealand Industrial Exhibition, to be held for tariff purposes in the Town Hall, Wellington, next month. The exhibits will represent all the industries in New Zealand and there w’ill bo no individual advertising. ... The question of Free-trado v. Protection will become a very live issue, and it JSIII be well to balance tho differences in their application to debtor and creditor* countries. It has been demonstrated that the loss in Customs duties is fnore than covered by the gains of local manufactures.” Tho membership of the association was reported to bo 11'8, the same number as during the previous year. In moving the adoption of tho report, tho chairman said that he was somewhat disappointed because there were many things which they had intended doing that had not been done. However, he thought they had done well in one thing and that was in connection with the conference held in Auckland, where tbc question of holding a tariff exhibition was definitely settled. He stated that tho applications for space were in excess of the area, available. The exhibition was to bo run without e guarantee, and they had £6OO in the bank to help it along. The exhibit of agricultural machinery would be exceptionally good. Mr. Ward referred to the work of the Tariff Commission and the assistance given by fhe industrial associations in bringing evidence before the Commission. The Minister (Mr. Lee) had made a personal inspection of the industries in Dunedin, Christchurch, and Auckland, and in an address he had delivered in the latter city he said it was not a matted of considering whether we should engage or embark in industries; that was a thing of the past, and there was only one thing to dp, and that was to carry them on. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. , The election of officers resulted as follows: —President, Mr. C. J. Ward; vicepresidents, Messrs. F. W Vosseler and D Taylor; general committee, Messrs. J. M. Thornley, W. E. Brown, E. Bull. H. Mainland, W. M'Clay, C. F. Ward, W. J. Gaudin, P. M'Whannel, A. C. Mitchell, E. E. Stonebank, L. R. Partridge, F W Vickerman, L. T. Watkins, L. Tingey, A. Williams, C. B. Norwood, and T. Ballinger ihon treasurer, Mr. I W. Vosseler; auditor, Mr. A. T. Clarke. Tho subscription to the association for tho current year was .fixed at £- -»