PROGRESSIVE STEP

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 257, 27 September 1935, Page 2

PROGRESSIVE STEP

MANUFACTURING ASSOCIATION LOCAL BRANCH FORMED. Another step in the progress of Palmerston North was marked, last evening, with the decision by a gathering of about 20 businessmen to form a Palmerston North sub-branch of the Wellington Manufacturers’ Association. Five members of the Wellington body, with their secretary, were present at a dinner at which the local manufacturers were entertained, and following that a short business session was held. In opening the proceedings, the president of tlie Wellington Association (Mr W. McLay) said that the suggestion had been made, as the Wellington Association had quite a number of members in Palmerston North, that a local sub-branch should be formed. All knew broadly the objects of the association. There were four associa-

tions in Now Zealand, he continued, being located in the four centres, and they were federated to form the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation. Tlie associations had been able to perform a considerable amount of useful work, although a large part of the funds they collected was passed on to the New Zealand body. The speaker suggested that a Palmerston North sub-branch of the Wellington association be formed with the right of direct representation on the Wellington committee, so that any members who might be in Wellington when the meetings were being held could attend and voice the views of the Palmerston North manufacturers. Mr Alexander Clark moved to that effect, the motion being seconded by Mr W. G. Black and carried without d',ssent. In seconding the motion, Mr Black said it had been a happy thought of the Wellington association to entertain the local businessmen at dinner. All realised the large amount of work that the Manufacturers’ Association had “done, and it was largely due to their efforts that the local manufacturer was recognised by the State—even to the present degree. No man could have done more than Mr A. E. Mander, secretary of the NationaLFederation, in the position he held in looking after the interests of the manufacturers, and the secretaries of the associations were always on the alert in watching their interests also, so that no manufacturer, whether engaged in a large business or not, could think, that his interests were not being carefully looked after. At Mr Black’s call a motion of appreciation of the action of the members of the Wellington association’s executive in coming to Palmerston North was carried by acclamation. Mr Black was appointed chairman of the local sub-branch on the motion of Mr Clark. AIMS OF ASSOCIATION. In outlining the organisation of the Wellington association, the secretary (Mr A. W. Nisbet) .said it enabled manufacturers to be banded together for their mutual protection and enabled them, on important occasions, to speak with a united voice on matters affecting the stability or security of their respective undertakings and industry in general. Thanks to the existence of the federation, the district associations could now ,speak for the manufacturing industry of New Zealand as a whole. The advantage of that was incalculable, especially when dealing with the Government. “The work of the association falls into two main divisions,” he proceeded. “Those divisions may be termed the work of the general executive committee and the various sub-commit-tees, and the routine work carried on

by the association office. The general executive consists of the president, two vice-presidents and a committee of 25. An endeavour is made to get each industry represented on the general exeutive and with the formation of local sub-committees in Palmerston North, Napier, Wanganui and New Plymouth, to give the chairman of each of these district sub-committees a seat on the executive. In the year 1933-34 the association showed a loss of nearly £2OO. and for the financial year just closed income and expenditure just about balance, due to a higher subscription rate and to keeping the expenditure down to starvation point. For two years now the association has been unable to organise any shopping weeks, window displays or newspaper publicity owing to lack of funds. The total estimated revenue of the association for the current year, based on the existing membership. is under £IOOO, and of this total £250 goes to support the federation, leaving less than £750 to run the association office.

“However, in spite of lack of funds we manage to get through a lot of useful work in the course of a year. The biggest work done by the association and federation during the past two years has undoubtedly been the tariff revision, and while this work was controlled from federation headquarters it put a lot of work on to the association in _ holding to discuss the tariff commission’s report, the collecting of information for members, and other matters. The results, on the whole, were very satisfactory. “During the past twelve months many matters of importance have been dealt with by the association. These include consideration of the coordination scheme, railway workshops competition, reciprocal trade agreements, building subsidies, inspection of machinery and the Commercial Trusts Act Amendment. The routine work of the association office staff consists of securing and retaining members, the collection of subscriptions, conducting the correspondence of the association and the answering of innumerable inquiries mainly as to ■ where goods and materials may be obtained. We do not get the co-operation we should from manufacturers regarding brands and such matters. In addition to numerous sub-committees, we have meetings of trade groups 6iich as the manufacturing engineers, white, shirt and silk trade, frock manufacturers, etc., each dealing with its own particular problems.” In reply to a question, Mr Nisbet said that in regard to the proposed amendment to the Apprenticeship Act the New Zealand Employers’ Association had drafted suggestions and bad not co-operated -with the Manufacturers’ Association in any way.

In discussing the work of the federation in the past, the treasurer (Mr I. Matheson) commented that the Ottawa Conference had been a matter of great moment ,and had not the manufacturers had a personal representative at Ottawa their burden would have been very much greater. Arising from the Ottawa Conference had come the tariff inquiry, and then followed the Australian reciprocal trade agreement, when the federation had had to keep in very close touch with the Government. The view of the federation now was that the duties on Australian goods should be raised to a level that would offset the raising of tlie New Zealand exchange rate to the level of Australia’s. Thus the New Zealand goods would be on a par with those from Australia. When tlie specifications of the Wellington railway station had become known prompt representations had been made so that it would now be constructV), as far as possible, of Dominion 1 materials. Another phase

of the work embodied taking members of Parliament .and Cabinet Ministers where possible, to local manufacturing concerns. Publicity was a most important matter, the federation, through its officers, supplying various people interested and the Press with information concerning Now Zealand manufactures. Speaking later in the proceedings, Mr E. Bull, who said he had been a member of tlie executive of the Wellington association for the past 37 years, adjured manufacturers to look at the association in a broad light. They might not see a great amount of good for themselves individually, but they should consider the great amount it did to manufacturing in general.