ENORMOUS JAPANESE IMPORTS.

Northern Advocate, 19 August 1919, Page 4

ENORMOUS JAPANESE IMPORTS.

CHEAP LABOUR PROBLEM,

Japanese competition in the woollen trade was touched upon by Mr W. 11. P. Barber, at the annual meeting- of the Wellington Woollen Manufacturing Company. He said that whilst the British manufacturer could not for some time be so formidable a rival as before for the Dominion-wool-len trade, there were others overseas wiho stall pi-oduced under conditions of low wages and very long hours. Unless held in check, they would prove a serious menace to the industrial life of this and the older country. He referred, tp the Japanese, and as am ilhustration of what might be looked for, he quoted from an Engfeh trade piaper, which stated tihat the silk industry of England was threatened by that nation. Since 1913-14 the imports of Japlainese silk had increased from about one million sterling to mearly five millions sterling per annum, wihich was expected to be doubled as soon as shipping became normal. LOW ASIATIC WAGES. The wages in the Japanese silk industry have been recently raised, said they now stand at s£d to lid 0- day for men, and 43d to 7sd for women. Woollen manufacture in Japan was advancing rapidly, and the Englilsh Wool Eecord is responsible for tho statement that orders from there for textile machimery to the value of eight millions sterling had been offered in Englaind recently. In the face of siieh conditions it was strange that there were istill to be found in New Zealand speakers amd writers who referred to the industries of (New Zealand as "highly protected." Tihe standardising of wages, as forecasted in the Treaty of Nations, was likely to prove a difficult problem. Meanwhile it remained tp be seen what action Labotir would take, pending such standardising" to protect those workers ioi New Zealand who look to beiriefit in the new era of profit-sharing , mnd co-partnership,