LOCALLY MANUFACTURED

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 28, 4 December 1930, Page 7

LOCALLY MANUFACTURED

It* will be rememteed tßa-t ire---4Mr.ns}-y w^^^.-pccaswnj^.^draiir. ''4^^tioli!''i|^-:.ffie^^^3(Krn.' of the Bbirou^v^uncil in* Refusing to #e.eep| im]Sbrte<l irdn. pipeis; with w&cTa'to completean addition.-to the reticulation of the borough, .wate^supply^^flavopir^of-^?! article of entirely New Zealand inanufaeturei ;■ And:wo hftve learned; ; with pleasure tjbiat the Council's j fiction in this regard has met with alinO'St atnanimous commendation , at the hands of the ratepayers, who ; ai!% glad to; provide the few extra; necessary to give preference to the locally/manufactured pipes. We are permitted to take the following particulars from a letter received by a local resident from a Nelson gentleman who is, and has been from its inception, largely interested in the development of the iron and steel industry in the Onakaka district, Golden Bay, Nelson. So few people are. aware of the strides made in recent years toward the fuller development of this most important industry that many people were sceptical as to the entire manufacture and production of the finished article, from the virw gin ore in the ground to the finished pipes ready for jointing up being carried out within the Dominion, that the facts herein stated will probably come as a surprise. The Onakaka Iron and Steel Company Laßoited is now, and has been for ay considerable time past employing "no less than 180 men at the highest rate of wages, and the annual amount expended in labour alone is over fifty thousand pounds sterling. During the past year the output of finished .products was of a total value of eighty thousand pounds. The amount of coal necessary to be used annually to maintain the present output is j well over 21,000 tons. It is thus ' obvious that the Company in both 'the directions^above referred to is doing much to provide employment for New Zealand operatives. And it is rightly claimed that by using the Dominion produced iron and steel lpcal bodies are not only encouraging, local industry, but also obtaining, an article of quite equal and in many cases a superior quality,, but also assisting in providing employment for men who from no fault/of their own, but owing to the present financial crisis, are unfortunately out of work. The argument as to the increased cost, has after, all but, little merits" The amount of increase is but comparatively insignificant, anct wheii looked at in the light of surroundings should not be a; factor worthy of eonsidOration." By obtaining the pipes front the New Zealand manufec-, turers the Council is we are assured on expert authority securing,, a,firsLt^olass article, and it is an: ascertained fact -that the burgesses are well satisfied, that their, : representatives have- set, a good ex, ample to other Local Bodies. This isanothe^ case &f ! combattingthe .prejudice in favour of imp.ortea goods, and. r almost invariably it lias been found that, given-A jfair\; .opportunity the . New, Sfealand made, goods stand the comparison . with tritmiptiatit results^