ONAKAKA IRON WORKS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 26 June 1926, Page 6

ONAKAKA IRON WORKS

COMPETITION' WITH COLOURED LABOUR STRONG APPEAL BY MR R. P. HfIDSON PROTECTIVE DUTY URGED (From Our Parliamentary Correspondent) WELLINGTON, This Day. An appeal for further protection for the. Onakaka Iron and Steel Company was made by Air R. P. Hudson in the House yesterday. .Mr Hudson stated that the Government had been sympathetic, but unfortunately the company was up against competition from coloured labour, and the burden was almost impossible to bear. Up tci the present the company had spent approximately £190,000 in developing the industry, of which £140,000 was paid in wages' and freight, etc. Between 85 and 90 men were employed at the works, and they were paid from 14/. to 20/- a day. The coal consumption ranged from 350 to 400 tons of slack per week. The 'Minister of Mines would appreciate what that meant to the country. The average freight was 21/9 per ton f.o.b. Mr Hudson said that the estimated expendiluro on 9000 tons, which was about the an nual production, was £57,950, made up as follows: Wages £12,500, coal £21,000, freights on coal £12,500. freight on iron £9450, distribution costs £2500. If the company went under through competition with Indian iron there would h'o a great loss tojhis country and the difficulty about unemployment would be accentuated. Indian ore was landed in Dnnedin at £6/14/- per ton and the company could not compete against that, so he suggested that a protective, duty of £2 per tc*i should be imposed, (but not in addition to the bonus of £l/10/a ton which the Government was at present being paid. Australia imposed such a duty, except in the case of NewZealand iron, on which the dut'v was £1 per ton. He appealed to the Government to give the matter very serious consideration.