LOCAL INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 48, 26 February 1927, Page 8

LOCAL INDUSTRY

(To the Editor.! Sir,—The manufacturers have issued a manifesto re immigration which is full, of superficialities. ■..■They have reasoned from the surface, without paying any recognition to underlying facts. In the first' place, the country is full of : unemployed at the present time, with no-hope of.finding immediate employment for them; consequently they become a burden upon the community, and the manufacturers themselves will have, willy nilly, to bear then? share of the burden. • .'• ;.'..-. Looked at from a purely economic point of view, it is certain that secondary industries . can only absorb a given: proportion of labour in correct relation to the amount of labour employed ..in primary industry; any attempt to disturb the.natural balance between primary and secondary industries can only end in failure. The country needs more population. Granted, but it must see that at least a due proportion goes in primary industry before it is possible to place moire; in - secondary industries. . , ;,,'.'' '■.'-. One fact in connection with immigration' is very apparent, and that is that the bulk of the immigrants coining here are- from, the towns and cities, knowing nothing ofv country life, in England, and for--that reason quite N unfit for country life in the j colonies. Then, again, it t is quite apparent^ that there _• is not the; amount of: country work offering that would absorb, our own. country workers., ..\ , .■■'.■' .■'..;./

Now, with regard to local industries, is it not time that our manufacturers looked at home for taults,.before condemning the public for not (riving greater patronage to local industries? ■ LqoV for a moment at the tiriiber industry; of which so much' j has been-mads lately; Are all who are ■ engaged in this industry giving of their best? , I think riot. How often are orders . given for local, timbers/which are .either not' fulfilled, or are not' supplied true to label, with the result that the customer' ;, lias perforce.to; use'-the imported article; i' Look again' at, various other: industries;".' look at some of our local made boots-rgood. :'• boots some of them, but sometimes lacking in finish—arid yet Svemako better boots . than many of the imported articles.^ Go into the first shop you come to and ask' for a moderately cheap shirt, size 16, and .'• if you are not careful 'they'will serve you with one -the body; of which is too> small. ' Call you wonder if the customer goes for • the imported article? I have made a prao, •'. tice for years of endeavouring to patronise local industry, but I often find a'difficulty. ' in getting certain well-known brands; its * just about as hard as. trying to buy New" - Zealand mutton in London; they don't""" know anything about it. , ' • When our manufacturers give of their best, and ensure that their goods are ready to the hand of the consumer you may be = sure that they will be patronised. Thera^' is. a big suspicion that there are'two'ob--' jeets to be served by these continued out-' cries. One is protective duties for the pur- '. pose of forcing^ up prices and so bigger profits; the other a reduction in' wages.^ , If we had a guarantee against these two / possibilities, the public might be mor«'_ : " sympathetic—l am, etc., - ■■■'•-- ---■ ■ W. MADDISON..;{.