ENGINEERING TRADE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 154, 15 June 1911, Page 5

ENGINEERING TRADE.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER O FCUSTOMS.

REVISION OF TARIFF ASKED FOR.

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

Wellington, June 14.

The delegates attending the Ironmasters’ Conference waited upon the Minister of Customs. They were introduced by Mr. J. P .Luke, M.P., who said the iron trade had been languishing for a considerable time. It could not stand up against the oversea competition, so the ironmasters asked for the tariff to be remodelled, so that the shops would be able to meet the requirements of the whole country and not merely be repair shops. The Dominion now was sending nearly £1,000,000 away annually to buy imported machinery. Mr. Burt said many articles could be manufactured here if the tariff was raised. Unless something was dpne the engineering establishments of New Zealand would have Very little chance of progressing. Mr. Laurenson said the ironmasters had the assistance of associated unions, also of the executive officers of the labour organisations, who knew it was no use going .to the. employers for increased wages while the shops were unable to get sufficient orders to keep the machines running full time. At prosent the trade was terribly hampered, and would not go ahead until there was a scientific revision of the tariff.

Mr. J. L. Scott urged that a protective tariff did not spell increased cost to he consumer. Replying to the Minister Mr. Luke said a list had been prepared setting out the articles on which increased duties were desired.

The Minister said it was practically impossible to deal with the tariff during the coming session. He recognised that it might be found necessary to raise the tariff on certain articles. The Government had to consider how far it could go in the matter of encouraging and developing the iron industry, but before doing anything he had to wait for Mr. Cameron’s report. He was not yet in a position to say whether or not a Tariff Bill would be brought in. It was not likely that farmers and miners would allow the tariff to be increased unless their interests were conserved. If they were satisfied that the cost to the consumer would not go up, he was inclined to think that a majority of the members of Parliament would be prepared to support some measure for the encouragement of the industry. The only remedy he could see was to place the iron industry under the Commercial Trusts Act and if the price to the consumer was increased under a protective tariff the duty would be taken off again. There was no great probability of Parliament raising the tariff all round without taking the precaution to safeguard the consumer.

Replying to Mr. D. Robertson the Minister agreed that it would be a great help if the local bodies borrowing money from the Government had to expend the money on materials made up in the Dominion.