The New Zealand Herald

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3120, 17 July 1867, Page 3

The New Zealand Herald

own want of energy and determination, prevents us doing what Nelson and Sydney nave done? We really cannot answer the question. And now as to the quality of the English and the Colonial article. # We have made diligent enquiry concerning this, and the result is, that colonial cloth can scarcely be worn out in any reasonable time, while the goods imported, and even the cloth imported, aie generally of an inferior quality. The colonial cloth can be produced and sold cheaper than English cloth, and it is vastly superior for wear, and the reason of this is plain. The "old clothes" and rags in England are pulled to pieces by machinery, and under the name of "shoddy" are mixed with wool and manufactured into cloth. But the shoddy is so short in staple, that cloth made from it has no strength, and can be torn as easily as a piece of brown paper, and a shower of rain spoils it. But there are no shoddy mills pulling old clothes to bits in the colonies. The cloth made there is of pure wool, and so a genuine article, is made of long staple, and is exceedingly strong. Thus, all the same price, it is at least from ten to twenty per cent, cheaper than the English cloth, because of its superiority. We allude to the variety of cloth called tweed. This form a very large portion, too, of the colonial clothing, and so there is a market for a vast quantity of it as soon as it is made. While it is suitable for many gentlemen, indeed, it is now quite fashionable — it is also the stout strong serviceable article for the bushman and country settler. We advocate not any great and expensive project. Our idea is that Auckland people should follow the example of other places, commence on a small scale at first. Begin with tweeds, and blue serge, and blankets These are the simplest classes of goods, requiring the least amount of skilled labor, and very little dying. There is a very large demand for all of them. And while on this subject we cannot help referring to the fact' that cotton is being sent from some of the South Sea islands to Auckland for transhipment to England for manufacture there. The* charges upon this cotton must be heavy before it is placed on the English market. Does it not really seem that Auckland has in this very circumstance I a prize within her reach, if only she has the intelligence and energy to seize it. If a woollen manufactory were established here, the cotton to which we allude could also be manufactured here to a very considerable extent. We should very largely increase our trade with the Islands, we should have sources of great national wealth among us, and should then indeed bid fair to become the Britain of the South. No doubt the time will come, "when Auckland will be *to these Islands what Liverpool is to America, and in the surrounding neighborhoods will be our Manchesters and Oldhams and Bradfords with their industrious population-, busily engaged in the manufacture of' the varied raw material of this Southern hemisphere. _________

SPECTEMUR AGENDO. •' Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice : Take each man's oenaure, but reserve thy judgment. ! This above all,— To thine own self be true > And it most follow, as the night the day, Than oanit not then be false to any man."

1 AUCKLAND, "WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1867.

Believing, as most people now do, that we must pay greater attention to the increase pf varied local industries in the Province, we refer once more to the manufacture of wool. "We do not desire to launch forth chimerical schemes that can only be realised in dreamland, or through the agency of a diseased imagination, but to make out a substantial case for the commencement of the manufacture of a 'certain class of woollen goods in this Province. Every person will at once assent to the opinion that it would be a great and undoubted good if we could manufacture a largo portion of the woollen cloth which we consume. They see that the increased employment which this would give would be of great benefit to the Province. The wages fund so paid would be entirely spent in the Province, the profits to be derived from the business would also belong to and be spent by Provincial men. The plain facts of the case, when calmly considered without prejudice, appeal very strongly indeed in favor of the success of a woollen manufactory. Thus, Auckland produces some of the very best wool in the world. The Auckland people consume a very large amount in value of woollen goods. "We have plenty of fuel and water for manufacturing purposes. There are also people here who understand the work to be done, and plenty more can be obtained. "We simply require the first lot of machinery to be imported. The engines could be made here. But at present, what is the history of our wool trade. Auckland grown wool is sold at auction in Auckland to a dealer, who exports it to England, and makes a profit out of it. Then there is carting, shipping charges, and freight, and insurance to London. The brokers and dealers in London have to make their profits, there is cartage, and railway carriage, forwarding it from the warehouse in the metropolis to Yorkshire, or the West of England, to be manufactured. The manufacturer, and the cloth dealers, must have their profits. The cleth, when made, has to be sent back to London, the I dealers there have to realise their profits out of it as cloth, and shipping, insurance, and freight to Auckland now come in, after which there is the Customs duty which it has to pay on its return to the Queen* street wharf. Does it not really seem extraordinary that we should thus treat one of our staple productions ; that we should sell it so cheap as wool, and buy it back again so dear as cloth. ¥c maintain there is no reason why this should be the case. A woollen manu- J factory in Auckland would be in this position : It would get the wool at first cost, without paying any single one of the charges referred to above. A suitable building couldbe erected in Auckland for about the same that would have to be paid in England for it. The cost of the machinery would be a little more delivered in Auckland, than delivered in England, but this would be merely the shipping charges, freight, and insurance, and I this once paid, would never recur. The first cost, then, of a mill in Auckland would not ! be very much greater than one in England. ' The labor could be got at something about the same rate as it would cost in England. Coals are a trifle dearer, but this disparity will be greatly reduced when the Kawakawa coal fielcl is properly worked. Supposing that a clear and accurate statement of account could be made out, there can be no possible doubt but that it would be shown that the advantage is considerably, on the side of Auckland, as regards her ability to manufacture certain kinds, at least, of woollen cloth, cheaper than she can buy the imported article. And to this must be added the profit of having the capital spent on the purchase of that cloth retained and circulated in the Province. Even if Auckland cloth cost quite as much, yard for yard, as the English cloth, it would pay us remarkably well to manufacture it, and have the wages fund of the Provinco thereby largely increased. But this matter is beyond the region of argument ; it has advanced into the domain of fact. Nelson has proved beyond a question that what we advocate and say can be done, is done there. Nelson commenced in a small way to manufacture woollen goods. The attempt has been a perfect success. The manufacturer there cannot supply the orders sent to him, and sent to him among other places from Auckland. Orders have been unexecuted, we are told, for three and four months. At Sydney, the same success has been achieved, and Sydney cannot at present keep pace with the demand. Those then who shrug their shoulders and say the thing can't be done, must per force change their opinion, for it is done in the places named, and Auckland tradesmen are using bo-ifr the Nelson and the Sydney cloth more ' afifl itiore every week. Now what, but our