MADE IN NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12909, 4 July 1905, Page 6

MADE IN NEW ZEALAND.

THE PREMIER'S LATEST PROPOSAL.

VIEWS OF BUSINESS MEN.

[by telegraph.—own correspondent.] 7 ■■■.'■■ . ~ -■■.■ .-

■ Christchurch, Monday. The Press has been securing the opinions of leading local manufacturers and retailers as to the effect of carrying out his suggestion in the Governor's Speech, that all goods manufactured in the colony should be stamped and marked as having been, made in New Zealand. With one or two exceptions everyone interviewed declared that there is a very strong prejudice against colonial manufactures, and that they are very difficult to sell as such. Incidentally one gathers that no small quantity of locally-made goods are sold as English, and under that description they have a ready sale. "And," remarked one gentleman, " after all they are English, are they not? Of course, I could never describe them as Continental, for that would be untrue." In short, " made in New Zealand " seems to be as poor a recommendation as "made in Germany." A dry goods merchant, referring more especially to such manufactures as soaps, candles, and so on, declared at once that the policy foreshadowed in the Governor's Speech was "a. huge mistake." Whoever advised the Government obviously knows nothing about the matter. He said, "Goods manufactured locally are genuine and firstclass in quality, but there is a noted prejudice against them, and if in future they are to be branded as being a New Zealand manufacture the result will be that our industries will languish, and the bulk of our manufactures will dimmish. Sold as imported goods they give every satisfaction." Another man engaged in the same business was not quite so emphatic. " Branding will- certainly not assist the boot and shoe industry in this colony," he' said. "It will, if anything, militate against it. On the other hand, I do not think anything very perceptible will result, because as a matter of fact a good many factories brand their goods already. There is at present a great run, on American footwear, but the English are gaining ground, assisted by the preferential tariff, which raiises the price of American goods." Leading dealers in soft goods do not object, to branding, and one of them believed that it would assist the sale of the local goods because of their superior quality. '■