N.Z. INDUSTRIES

Gisborne Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6319, 23 February 1922, Page 5

N.Z. INDUSTRIES

ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF DELEGATES.

OPENING ADDRESS BY

MINISTER.

WELLNGTON Feb. 22

The annual conference of the ..industrial Corporation of New Zealand was opened this morning. Mr. C. J. Ward (president) occupied Die chair.

The Hon. E. P. Lee, Minister of Industries and Commerce, addressee the conference. He said tlie Dominion’s interests were far more extensive than the general public realised, and the very best care was taken to produce a high class manufactured article. The recent exhibition in Wellirigton- was well timed, because of the introduction • of the tariff, and it provided ample testimony of the variety of goods produced in the Dominion. The exhibition was a wise step in that it showed to Parliament the necessity of looking after Dominion industries. He would like to see further such exhibitions, which would always be supported by the Board of Trade. Speaking of the coming visit of the Minister of Customs and Controller to Australia, Mr Lee said he thought satisfactory results would be obtained. Whatever was done would have to be approved by Parliament. The Board of Trade would ever be anxious to help forward the industries of New Zealand, although owing to the financial stringency, it might not be possible to give bounties or anything of that sort -P.A. Professor Easterfield, director or the Cawthron Institute, spoke on the value of research work and the need for encouragement. He moved that, recognising the profound influence which an active policy of scientific or industrial research would exert upon the development of primary and secondary industries of New Zealand this conference urges upon the Cabinet the necessity of fostering such research, both by" assisting private investigations and by adopting some such comprehensive scheme as was recommended by the Efficiency Commissioners in their report to Cabinet in January, 1918. The motion received general support, and was carried. On the motion of Mr F. W. Hills (Auckland) the following motion was carried: That the conference congratulates the Government upon what it has already done at Rotorua and elsewhere in reafforestation and , strongly urges further planting of ; quick-growing exotic trees such as : had already been proved generally , useful for trade purposes. We urge this, whilst having the fullest sym- . pathy for those wishing to see native forests reasonably preserved and regenerated. We urge the Government to come to a decision as soon as possible upon the best place for the first School of Forestry and j to institute it in a practical manner j so that the Dominion may benefit j by it without further delay.