SECONDARY INDUSTRY

Grey River Argus, 29 December 1934, Page 6

SECONDARY INDUSTRY

Australian Position IRON AND STEEL MANUFACTURE. During his visit to Australia, the Hon. R. Masters, -Minister of Industries and Commerce, was naturally keenly interested in seeing in active operation as many as possible of the secondary industries, in both New South Wales and Victoria. “The policy of the Commonwealth Government in providing a generous protective tariff, together with the fact that Australia has a purchasing population of approximately seven millions is, in a large measure, responsible for the tremendous development that has taken place in manufacturing industries in recent years,” said the -Minister. “Not only have local secondary industries developed, but English manufacturing interests have built factories in some instances on their own account, and in other cases have co-operated or amalgamated for greater extension with already wellestablished industries. “There is no doubt that the outstanding industry in Australia is that of the manufacture of iron and steel, which is carried on by the Broken Hill Proprietary, with a capital of £9,500,000. This huge undertaking manufactures every form of iron and steel in its various forms, and from the time when it commenced operations in March, 1915, up to May, 1933, it has produced over 11,000,000 tons of pig iron, steel, blooms, rails, structural steel, wire rods, etc. In addition, various by-products of the industry are manufactured, chief among which are tar (over 40,000,000 gallons), benzol (over 8,000,000 gallons) sulphate of ammonia (nearly 60,000 tons). An inportant point is that 95 per cent, of all the materials used at the steel w(l*ks is produced in Australia. The company owns its own collieries, ships, wharves, quarries and plant. It has some 12,000 employees, and the wages bill amounts to nearly £1,700,000 per annum, without taking into account any subsidiary companies or allied industries. This undertaking is generally recognised as one of the most efficient and best arranged iron and steel producing plants in the world, and a layman after visiting it would agree that there is justification for the claim. After inspecting this plant, one could not but compare it very favourably with others one had seen in the United Kingdom, the Continent, and the United States.

“In visiting other factories of various kinds in Australia I was struck by the similarity in the method of production to those employed in New Zealand, and but for the size of the undertakings in the Commonwealth our own industries appear, in many respects, to be just as efficient as those of Australia. The great advantage the Australian manufacturer enjoys is that the huge internal consumption enables him to reduce his fixed charges and to develop an export trade. The Australian manufacturers were very anxious and willing to allow us to inspect their industries, and gave us every opportunity of closely studying conditions, methods, development, and. future prospects, and I am sure that the information we gained will he of very great assistance to us in considering matters relating thereto in the future.”