NEW ZEALAND INDUSTRIES

Evening Star, Issue 20486, 17 May 1930, Page 27

NEW ZEALAND INDUSTRIES

ADDRESS TD WOMEN’S CLUB There was a large ; attendance of members at tho Women’s Club yesterday afternoon, when Mr J. Hogg repeated an address ori ‘ New Zealand Industries’ which he had given to the Rotary Club. A large number of producers had arranged exhibits of their output, and tho club members were given an excellent idea of what their own country produces. _ Lady Ferguson presided, and said it was an eyeopener to the housewives of the dominion. The, club members appreciated very much Mr Hogg’s in agreeing to address them, especially as he was leaving Dunedin on the following day. Mr Hogg stated that only a sense of deep obligation to the cause of New Zealand industries accounted for his presence as tho speaker at that gathering. Tho Dunedin Manufacturers’ Association could not be other than appreciative of the interest and patriotism displayed by the executive of the Women’s Club in voluntarily coming forward to make possible such _ a display as they had to give those interested an opportunity for presenting the case for New Zealand-made goods to the members Their co-operation provided an assurance of their interest and partiality in the present effort, of the Dunedin Manufacturers’ _ Association to illustrate to the public the excellence and value of New' Zealandmade articles. This attitude was in keeping with the example set by Her Majesty Queen Mary, who recently appeared in a cotton frock for the purpose of endeavouring to revive interest in cotton goods for the benefit of the cotton industry in Great Britain 2he Women’s Club was definitely and loyally aiding by this gesture of sympathy with the Now Zealand movement the cause of increased production and the curtailment of unemployment. They were, no doubt, fully aware of the fact that more than 400 shop windows in the city and suburbs were displaying New Zealand-made goods, and very, largely goods made in Otago and Southland. They had also noticed, and no doubt read, the two splendid industrial issues made last week by the two daily papers. As in the case of other movements for increased national and provincial development the two papers had loyally given their powerful, support, and" had endeavoured to_ mould public opinion m_ favour of New Zealand industries. Might lie say that the special issues of the papers, both this year and in the past, had not been excelled anywhere in New Zealand, and also that for some years Dunedin had led. in this special scheme for displays of our manufactured goods throughout the shops of the city? . Ho SS dealt with the rise and development of industry from the Babylonian period to the present time, when England, America, and Germany were the greatest industrial Powers. He urged an extension of a scheme of Empire preference .and said it was not the policy of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation to ask the Government to prohibit the importation of goods from foreign or Empire sources._ Its appeal was based largely on sentiment, patriotism, and the business argument that the people should ’ fiflyo first preference to our own industries and after that preference to Empire goods. Without a reasonable tariff it would ho impossible for the manufacturers to make headway against high protection in a big country with a population of 40,000,000 or 50.000. One might ask if in tins far-flung part of . the Empire they had been justified in developing industries. Some people thought they should confine themselves to primary production, hut his answer to that was that they had unlimited raw materials,- which made it essential to manufacture all the goods they could in this country. Coming to New Zealand industries, Mr Hogg stated that in 1896, the production was valued at £9,600,000, hut i 1926 it had increased to £85,000,000 —an increase of nearly £75,000,000 in thirty years. Last year tho figure had increased to £87,750,000. Practically the whole of that was consumed within tho dominion. In 1896 the number of hands employed in factories was 27,000, but by 1926 the number had increased to. 81,000, and last year to 82.000. There had been an increase of 54,000 employees in thirty years, and that number could be considerably augmented. The introduction of machinery had, of course, cut down tho number of men employed in proportion to the output. After referring to tho unemployment problem,. Sir Hogg hoped that those present would examine tho limited displays made in the club premises of some of the goods of New Zealand manufacture, and examine and inspect the splendid displays throughout tho city. They would find a very wide range of articles from which to choose. The manufacturers realised that quality and price were essential features to the buyer. Merely to urge, as was being done now through different avenues, an appeal for the buying of goods because they were made in New Zealand was not sufficient. There must be the additional incentive of good workmanship, quality, and reasonable price to justify their purchase, and the manufacturers of the dominion said that, with a few exceptions, they were buying on this market and offering goods of proven quality. which would compare favourably with any imported lines. Mr J. Sutherland Ross briefly addressed the gathering, and on the motion of Mrs Marshall Macdonald, Mr Hogg was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his address.