LOOKING BACK

Evening Star, Issue 21720, 15 May 1934, Page 5 (Supplement)

LOOKING BACK

DUNEDIN MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT The real forerunner of the Dunedin Manufacturers’ Association was the Otago Protection League—an organisation formed in the early 'eighties with the object, as its name indicates, of securing protection for the industries established or about to be established in this district. The great majority of the manufacturers in and around" Dunedin belonged to it, and there is no question that it did very valuable service in establishing and solidifying many local indus--1 ries. Its chief work was clone in con-

nection with the revision of the tariff that took place at the time of the Atkinson Government, and in this the league very largely gained its objectives. industries here were very small in those days when coraparfed with their present scope. Xot only that, hut times were very bad, and the activities of the league were therefore doubly necessary and doubly valuable. Having .to a large extent accomplished its work and fulfilled its mission by securing • protective tariffs, the league gradually went out of existence. It was not till war-time conditions began to press heavily on our industries and such grave problems.- as the shipping shortage and a prospective revision of the Customs tariff had to be faced that some old members of the league bethought themselves again of its good work and asked whether the manufacturers could not be similarly organised once more to meet the new emergencies. From this it will be seen that the formation of the association sprang from a conviction in the minds of leading Dunedin business men that there was need for such a body to safeguard the special interests of local manufacturers interests which, although closely intermixed with those of importers and merchants generally, nevertheless presented features peculiar to productive industries. Accordingly a meeting of representative firms was called in May, 1917, at which the formationi of the association was definitely decided upon, Mr William Stevenson being elected president, Mr R. J, Hudson vice-president, and Mr G. W. Reid secretary. One of the first matters which engaged the attention of the committee was' the collection of evidence to be placed before the Select Committee of the House of Representatives appointed to inquire into and report upon mat-' tors tending, to benefit and encourage the industries of the dominion. It was encouraging to find that the representations of the committee'were favourably received, and that in many other

ways there were instances of what could be accomplished by concerted action. Throughout the year the committee was in fairly_ constant communication with the National Efficiency Board on a variety of topics, such as the classification of essential industries, the employment and training of returned soldiers, and the relationship between employers and -employees. There was ans interesting' prophetic note in the second annual report 6f the association. Referring to the end of the war period, it stated: “It was inevitable that the termination of hostilities should bring in its train a mushroom growth of social and industrial problems, and it is obvious that much readjustment involving; no doubt, serious economic disturbances, is necessaty before a proper industrial equilibrium can be finally established. It is during this transition stage that the association should find ample .scope for it's activities. Occasions must now arise, even more than in the past,.when concerted action on the part of manufacturers will be a necessity.” ! It was in that year that a special committee reported to the Efficiency Board on the question of technical education, with particular.reference to the training of apprentices. The findings of the committee were much appreciated by the board and had a definite influence on, the board’s policy when the Government was approached. An active part was also taken in the ■movement for securing the re-establishment of a direct steamer service between Australia and Dunedin and for having bills of lading for overseas goods made out to Port Chalmers and for Dunedin without transhipment. The third year of the association's life was noteworthy for the fact that the annual conference of the Industrial Corporation of New Zealand—the forerunner of the federation—was held in Dunedin, it being the opinion of all those present that a great amount of valuable business wsa transacted. The more recent activities of tha association are too familiar to require' recapitulation. It is sufficient to say that the association’s harmonious and progressive policy has done much to help industry through a difficult period and , increase public confidence in locally-made _ goods. In the history of the association, there is also revealed a pleasing co-operation with other local bodies and with other manufacturing bodies throughout New Zealand.