INDUSTRIES WEEK.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 99, 28 April 1909, Page 5

INDUSTRIES WEEK.

- ♦■ RAILWAY CONCESSIONS WANTED. A FAVOURABLE REPLY. The Minister of Railways (the Hon. J. A. Millar) was waited upon by a deputation from the Wellington Industrial Association to-day with a reqnest that cheap fares should be granted on the railways to country residents, so that they could view the local industries display in the city shops from 12th May to 19th. Mr. H. F. Allen explained that the association was holding a New Zealand Industries week. The object was to bring before the public the excellence and the wide scope of New Zealand's manufactures. Assistance would be given by the City Council, but one very important matter that would go to mitigate against success was the decision of the Government not to grant cheap farea on the railways to country people. The general manager of the railways had said that the returns la^t year did not warrant a repetition of the concessions then granted. He hoped that the Minister would continue to show that sympathy with New Zealand's manufactures which had been characteristic of him in the past. He explained what the association intended to do, and concluded by once again expressing the hope that the Minister would see his way to grant the request. > Mr. A. Newton said that no reform or institution of the kind which the association wa« fostering could be looked upon as a profit-earning concern. Business had to be built, and they looked for some encouragement from the Government. Mr. Thos. Ballinger said he did not think the concessions on the railways last year had been sufficiently advertised. The association would be prepared to bear the expense of distributing a large" number of handbills announcing the attraction. The Government granted concessions in respect of race meetings, and could surely do so in respect of a local industries week. Mr. H. Seaton endorsed .this statement. The Shopkeepers' Association and the Industrial Association would be prepared to distribute say, 10,000 handbills at all the country railway stations. Mr. Williams said a great many people in New Zealand did not know what was manufactured in their own country. The 'Minister said he had always believed in local industries and their encouragement, but facts have to be faced. Ifc had been stated that the concessions on the railways had not been advertised last year, but he could tell the deputation that the revenue received from the special trains did not pay for the advertising. On the two trains run, 23 first-class and 72 second-class passengers, only, travelled. This meant a dead loss to the department of £27 10s on the ordinary rates. If the cheap fare was going to encourage only 95 people to come down, then it would not pay the association, and it would not pay the Government. At Christchurch, 1200 people had travelled by the special trains run in connection with Industries Week, but a bird show was being held in Christchurch at the same time. This year the Industries Week excursionists would have their tickets made separate. In conclusion, the jMinister intimated that he would bo prepared to put on one special train for Wellington, but the concession would not be repeated if the results were not much 'better than last year. If the train did not show a better result than it did in the past, then it was clearly unnecessary and unbupiness-like. He would accept the association's offer to do the advertising by poster, and would consult with his officer* on the point of allowing excursionists to Wellington to remain oyer one or two days — reach the ■city on Saturday, say, and return on the Monday.