THE IRON INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14530, 18 November 1910, Page 6

THE IRON INDUSTRY.

: TARIFF PROTECTION URGED. DEPUTATION TO ' MINISTER. [BY EELEOBAPH.—PffiESa ASSOCIATION. . • - Wellington, Thursday, i- To-night Messrs. J. B. Laui'enson and s Fraser (representing the ironmasters), A. [, Jones (Christchurch moulders), F. Fail r (Dunedin boilermakers), and W. G. Dh Evans (general secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers) waited on [, the Acting-Minister for Customs' (Hon. T. \ f Mackenzie), and asked for tariff protecb tion for the iron industry. They said . that during the time in which 1,500,000 [. acres of land had gone into cultivation a only three additional workmen were en--j gaged in the manufacture of agricultural h implements. New Zealand had imported t, £4,500,000 worth of machinery in five 3 years, half of which could have been made h in the Dominion had a 33 per cent, duty prevailed, and employment could have g been given to 1500 more trained workmen , than could now be engaged. In the list of e machinery proposed to be protected reape ers and binders did not appear, because it was realised it was impossible to proB duce them at £10 each, as was done in America. j The workers' representatives said they were satisfied that it was not intended to increase the cost of products to the conB suraer, nor were they trying to increase e their wages. Some of the best Otago workers had scarcely worked six months £ in the year. The Minister, in reply, said -a de- ' parture in policy was being urged. 1 Mining and agricultural machinery I had .for years been imported free of duty, and it would be necessary to prove to the farmer that in the long run he would benefit from the protection of the iron in- . dustry. Certain industries. natural to a country could be with advantage developed under protection, as the woollen manufacture demonstrated. He was not in a position to speak with equal confidence as to the success of the bootmaking industry under protection. He did not think that bad trade would continue even in the iron Industry. A careful view of the competing countries justified him in saying that two such dull years as had just been experienced would not be repeated for a long time. He ' would lay the deputation's request before i the Government, and during the recess • would endeavour, through the Industries | and Commerce Department, to get as much information as possible on the subject. If he could assist in the development of an important industry he would be only too ■ glad to do eo. . ~