AUSTRALIAN GOODS

Evening Star, Issue 19520, 30 March 1927, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN GOODS

MANUFACTURERS' DIFFICULTIES

ENGINEERING LINES

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright

MELBOURNE, March 30,

(Received March 30, at 11.40 a.m.) Giving evidence in the engineering case in the Aihitiafion Court, Mr R. Marshall Eady said that the employers considered that oversea competition would seriously affect the majority of the lines which they manufactured unless the loss of hours of work was compensated for. In some cases English manufacturers could land their products at about 14 per cent, lower than the local manufacturing cost. The nd valorem tariff was 45 per cent., and by adding freight, insurance, and exchange the measure of protection was brought to 59) per cent. Wages oversea were also lower. In Halifax the wages were C2 Tls a week of fortyseven hours; in Melbourne they were £5 12s 6d, plus 4s 6d to cover holidays and sick pay. Thus the wages in Halifax were 13.79 d an hour against 30.2 in Melbourne, representing a difference of 114 per cent. Lover material costs in England, as against Australia, represented a difference of 50 per cent., making a total of 164 per cent, against the Australian manufacturer.