FOUR INDUSTRIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 108, 3 November 1937, Page 10

FOUR INDUSTRIES

VALUE TO COUNTRY

MINISTER QUOTES FIGURES

The Minister of industries and Cornmere* (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan), when opening the Hutt Valley Industrial Exhibition last evening, quoted figures for the year ended March 31, 1937, to show the importance of four large industries—grain mills, woollen mills, boot factories, and breweries. The value of the industry represented by the Railway Department also came in for comment.

Mr. Sullivan said that in grain mills, the value of New Zealand raw materials was £1,860,000, the wages and salaries paid amounted to £170,000, there were 743 employees, other expenses (power, light, heat, and repairs) totalled £247,000, and the value of products was £2,349,000. The value of New Zealand raw materials in woollen mills was £570,000; wages and salaries paid amounted to £406,000; there were 2792 employees; other expenses totalled £172,000; and the value of the products was £ 1,231,000. In boot factories, the value of New Zealand raw materials was £397,000; wages and salaries paid came to £438,000; the number of employees engaged was 3108; other expenses came to £122,000; and the value of the products was £1,384,000. In breweries, £550,000 represented the value of New Zealand raw materials; wages and salaries paid j came to £268,000; employees engaged numbered 1036; other expenses totalled £285,000; and the value of the products was £1,560,000. f

Totals in these four industries were as follows:—Value of New Zealand raw materials, £3,377,000; wages and salaries paid* £1,282,000; employees engaged, 7679; other expenses (power, light, heat, repairs), £826,000; value of products, £6,524,000. New Zealand coal, electricity, gas, transport, printing, etc., were used in all these industries. Mr. Sullivan quoted the following figures to illustrate the value of railways as an industry, the period being for the year ended March 31, 1937:— Paid to manufacturers, merchants, etc., in New Zealand, £633,094; materials manufactured in workshops, £332,062; coal and coke, £529,037; miscellaneous stores, £90,000; timber, etc., £29,913; amounts paid through Australian Trade Commissioner, £110,085; amounts paid through High Commissioner, London. £651,266; stores purchased and materials manufactured, £2,375,417. There were about 21,000 employees in the railways industry.