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Hokitika Guardian, 19 January 1932, Page 4

When the Great War came, and Britain, 'shut out from foreign markets, was thrown upon her own industrial resources, it was realised for ij-he first time that she 'had long been dependent upon the Germans for the dyes required-; fhr her own textile manufactures. ' "Circumstances thus compelled Britain to start building up a great dyeing industry within her own borders, and as the foundations 0 { all synthetic dye manufactures nart been laid originally by British chemists, this warn not a difficult lawk on the' technical .side. But State subsidies were needed to begin with, ano wlun peace came, the dyeing trade was included among' “key-iiidnstrre*'* and was “sheltered” under n modified form of protection. Then under the MarPonald-Snowdon regime came the attack on the McKenna duties and the demand foi a. icturn to unadulterated free trade, and in this inclement atmosphere the dying industry languished f,,r the time. Now, however, it has completelv recovered, ami the l uderSocretary for Overseas Trade has jw* publicly announced tied B”itam is now making 93 per cent- "I its dyes, i!s compare 1 with 20 per emit, in prewar days. Her- is, a (-pbndi.l oxtuple of a fundamentally British industrv a hi: a pim'd away and almost perished if dor Free Trade apiMms revived. v.dli. a stun idling rapidity under the shelter of duties which ha-e disarmed its most dangerous rivals. Wo may add. tint, as the process by which synthetic dyes are made includes the preparatory steps that lead

up to the manufacture of high explosives, a prosperous dyeing industry its always a valuable national asset.