FOR NEW ZEALAND

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 74, 24 September 1912, Page 7

FOR NEW ZEALAND

INDUSTRIAL. CORPORATION FOSTERING INDUSTRIES ... i NECESSITY FOR FIRM ACTION. Alter an interregnum of eteyen. years the Industrial Corporation of New Zealand met to-day in the office of the secretary (Mr. H. F. Allen). The delegate^ present tyere :— Messrs. P. Herctte, J. B. Laurenson (Christchurch), S. J. Harbutt, T. Hodgson, T. B. Whitton, J. M. Wilson. (Auckland), L. R. Partridge, S. S. Williams. T. Balljnger^ J. P. Luke*, and F- C. Ctsaise (WJeJlLng^oj)). Mr. L. R. Partridge (chairman of the Wellington. Industrial Association) presided. The secretary stated that since the last meeting the Dunedin Association had ceased to, exist, but the associations in Auckland and Christchurch were alive to the possibilities of the corporation, and were prepared to work energetically in its interests. CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS The Chairman, in welcoming the delegates, flaid : — ft was now fiome years since the Industrial Corporation of New Zealand met, and muc^ had taken place in the industrial history tot jthe Dominion since that time. It is- an acknowledged fact, he said, that a natjon t'& be foally great must combine the two essentials of euccese— manufacturing and agriculture. It appeared to him that they j should see that a fair proportipn of the j attention of the legislators should be i directed tp the advancement of local industries. A great <Jeal jvas b,pingdone for the farming comm tinner, and rightly ISO, as it wn& Ihe Doinjnion's principal source of wealth, but at the sajne time all sections of the comnmiiity anould be considered, fhie, he thought, was some- j times overlooked, notably" with regard tp imrnigratipn. Tiipy all knew there was a great shortage' of skilled labour throughout the country at the present time, and varjous nidnjifacfcarers were calling put for morp harfds, and could not obtain them. LMMjaRAtfTS WAJfTEp. It appeared to the speaker that the Government should be approaphed to bring out a Jarge number'^! immigrants, as the Dominion cquj^ easily dd with double the" population 7t Ijad '*fc BF?spn't. They must ' not overlook the fact that ever-y worker brought to tl)is land was an asset to the jsfltfntry in sq far as he was a consumer as wo 11 as a pro4upei', and thereby piaqq wprls tqr Others as well as produping for others. Thjs fact was often overlooked by some "of th e Labour leaders. Likewise the immigrant has an asset in so tat as he pai^ his share of the cost pi govemmppt' it) 'taxation, and helped tp deyelqp the country. He was quite sure tjiat' money spent in bringing put this plass pf immigrant would repay the State twofold. The qfchpr cplqnies were pushing on theifr immigration schpraes for all they are worth, and spending vast amp.un.ts of moupy in advertising the various attractions, and he thought it wag time JNew Zealand did nlo'r'e in this direction, • "MADE Jtf BfEW ZEALAND." With regard to fcjie expansion pf the Dominion's; industries |,he first essential was to create a demand (py New Zealandmade goqds. J\\ this respee^ Jie urged upon manufacturers' the necessity "of keeping their goods up to quality, so that ftip pnbljp would pc prpfid to say, "This was made in New Already thei'e was ja, demand ajji'qad foj, 1 some of oftr manuractured articles,' and there waa no reason, with an abundance of raw material, why this demand should npt be etrengthaneiJ, Taking the industnea pf. the Dominion as a whqte, there had not been the advancement made during the past ten years that he should like to have seen;' that Vas taking the ¥ear Bopk as 'a guide. He was of a very pptfmjstic turn at min^(, find he had gi'eaf faith in the Dominion's future as a manufacturing nation, notwithstanding the repent labour troubles, and he hoped to yet see our industries in a more flourishing condition; t Quoting fyqm last night's Ppst the chairman said he saw that' the Minister of Customs had promised a revision pf the tariff" next sps'sjbi}; and' it behoved them to be up and'doingj and sep that the^ stotid uiu'ted and got sompthinff of what they Required. Inferring to the report of tjie Hqyal Commissipn on the Cost of Living, the chairman said that' that rpport 'gjioweil thafc the cost had increased to a. marked extent in the laßfc few years;, bu'i ije ' pointed out tha| thp 's,ianjlanj of living h^.l like wise i gone up, ap4 the general commumt* had now many luxuries they little dreamt of having yeans ago. He believed that, tsjkeri als round, the people of Ifew Zealand tq-day were in a happjer conjj^iph tihan mpst other countries. Hiß personal sjmpathieHWeie with the. wg^kerp, arid when Jie sa id workers he included thp manufacturers also, as they were mostly dockers themselves, and what benefited one should benefit the >vhple community. ' ' GENERAL g(J§jN£sS Mr. Harbutt (Auckland) moved that representations be" jpade to the editor 0f the School Journal that articles should be published in the 'Journal on subjects foi' the furtherance of which the associations existed. He thought it wa^t an excellent idea to imb,ue tn© younger generation with the impprtanpe of otfr local industries. When the 'i-e- ' cent competitions were hpiiig held in Auckland thp association offered a prize for <vi essay on thp befit method of bringing local industries under the. nqtice of children. In this essay was the suggestion of a, eefies of artiptes; in the School Journal, ant) t)i« Auckland Association thought it was an "excellent idea, Mr. T. Ballinger seconded, and other members commended the proposal. The motion was adopted. 12CQN0MICS. A remit fettm Auckland concerning the pflrchafling power of mpttey wa« allowed to stand dpwn until later in the day. ARTERIAL ROADS. Mr. Harbutf (Aucklancj) ntov§d that representations be made to the Government that it should form arterial rpadg on all blocks of land before offering the land to settlers. In his opinion the Government ' should itself $o' what it required settlers to do v^liett open' n g MP land. Individuals who opened up jane( were required to road, but the Government threw open blocks, placed- settlers on the laud, ivncl then did not road them for years afterwards. The Government should rqad thp blocks, and then load the settlers with the cost. This, was seconded b.y Mr. Ballittger. Mr. Wilson thought it was time that the Government stopped advancing money to local bodies, which was spent in the cities. . Mr." Luke s No.t in Wellington} it may be 6o in Auckland. Mr. Wilson said it \va| «o in Auckland. A voice : The suburban areas. Mr, Wilson '. Yes, I mean suburban areas- The sum of £84,Q00 had been advanced to looal bodies, and he tirged that this shoiild be stopped. In consequence the Wk-blqpks word being starved. liv. Lukft quijte agwed with thp genend fmjieipJe- of th| ramrb. U» m*

thoroughly in accord with the principle of closer 'settlement, but he maintained that the purchase of private estates Could very well be stopped, and ifcWotdd he far bettor to open up the national estate. Private estates were productive now, and they should be allowed to remain so, and virgin country opened up and settled. The remit was adopted. AFFORESTATION. Mr. Harbutt, in moving that the Government should be urged by the various associations to establish a school of forestry, Bttid that tjhp question of afforestation was one of national importance. The consumption of timber in New Zealand was five hundred million feet per annum, and what was being done to replace it? The forests were [being denuded, and something should be done to replace tliAtu by replanting waste lands. Something wiis being done in a small way at various prison Gamps, but the scheme wag not large enough. Other countries recognised the importance of reafforestation, and were carrying it put 'on a large scale. Mr. Harbutt went on to quote figures as to what was being done in foreign countries. The matter waß one of real urgency. New Zealand timbers were not suitable for planting, as they took too many .years to mature^ The Government shquld make enquiries as to the most suitable foreign timbers for planting in the Dominion. > Qther speakers agreed with Sir. Hatputt, Mr." Luke remarking that the Press in Wellington deserved to be cqmnlended for ths altitude it had taken up in this matter, and ho hoped th.£fc it would, continue its advocacy. The remit was adopted. WATER PQWER AND ELECTRIC " SUPPLY. Auckland delegates submitted that the Government should be urged to make investigation as to the relative cost of power, either by electficity, suction gas, steam ? or producer gas before committing itself further to hydro-electricity alone. Mr. Luke contended that the hydroelectrical scheme of the Government was the biggest and safest project it had taken ii^i. When completed the schemes would fionier much f benefit on Gliristohurch and Auckland j it would be- a big factor in the development of industries in the ppminion. With the great water power available it would be suicidal if the ppyer-nmeiit did not usp it, Mr. Wilson said there was nvuch difterence of qpinipri as tp '£he relative value of tlie various mptliqds of producing power, and \\P thqugbt Government should make sqme enquiry before committing itself further. After some 4te Cu §pi° n the following tnotiofi by Mr. Hercus was carried :— "That a i'ecbitnmendation of the corporation bp fqrwartjed to the Gjoyemmpnt to the effect that, the hydrp-electricaf scheme as begijn at "t<ake' Coleridge be pUßhed on with all "possible speed, in the interest of the indtistiies qf the JJoininjoii. Mr. Hercus thought that wh,en the scheme was completed it would be an object leßSon to the whole of Npw Zealand.' FISHERIES. It was dpcided to urge the Government to do all possible to foster the fish•iiig industry in the Dominion.