EXPANDING INDUSTRIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18275, 16 December 1922, Page 10

EXPANDING INDUSTRIES

WHAT DOMINION CAN MAKE.

GOVERNMENT PURCHASES.

PRIORITY TO NEW ZEALAND.

[BY TELEGHArH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHBISTCHUBCH, Friday.

Visits wore paid to the Dominion Industrial Exhibition yesterday by members of the Government Stores Purchase Board and by members of the Dominion advisory council of the British Empire Exhibition. tf , w i In welcoming the visitors, Mr. W. J. Jenkin, president of the exhibition executive, said ho regarded the visit as one of the most important events in connection with tho exhibition. Membera of the Government Stores Board had the responsibility of buying stores for the Government, and the Government, as everyone was aware, was the largest purchaser m the Dominion. Many times during the past two or three years there had been nothing in the air but the needs of the primary producers, and ho felt sure he result of the recent elections showed what Uio people felt in regard to the position of the secondary industries as.compaied with the position of primary industries. It was impossible for any country to progress if it concentrated solely on primary industries. That idea had been held by numbers of primary producers, but it was a mistaken idea. •

Dominion Can Supply Itself. The exhibition was being held to dispel ignorance and to show the Government, members of Parliament, and the people of New Zealand what the Dominion could reaUv do in regard to the manufacture of "goods. The delegates would be convinced after they looked round, that, with a few exceptions, all the goods necessary for New Zealand could be manufactured within New Zealana. He was proud to say that the goods they were producing were equal to, if not superior, to any of the articles imported. That was. not his opinion alone. It was the considered view of oversea visitors who had studied as experts the goods displayed. The Government officials, he believed, would agree before* their visit .was over that New Zealand manufacturers could provide most of the goods they required. He did not blame them for any ignorance on that point that had existed. As Government officials they obeyed instructions, and in addition the manufacturers and the captains of industry had not seen to it that the people should know what could be done, by local industries. Now, however, they were determined that all ignorance on the subject should end and. that, wherever possible, New Zealand goods should be purchased in preference to goods of any other country. When that was done, unemployment would be prevented and population would be increased.

Official Sympathy.

In reply, Mr. J. W. Collins, secretary of the Department of Industries and Commerce, said he was particularly pleased to be associated with the two delegations. The members of the Stores Board were present virtually at the instance of the Minister for Public; Works, the Hon. J. G. Coates, who was chairman of the board. The delegates were at the exhibition to be educated, and he thoughi- it would be found that their sympathies were toward the manufacturers of New Zealand.

It also gave him pleasure to see members of the Advisory Committee of the British Empire Exhibition. They would interview various l exhibitor. l } -with a view to adding to the great Empire display. It was quite recent history that the woollen mills of New Zealand could not fill Dominion orders. It was hoped that one result of that exhibition would be to interest British investors in New Zealand enterprises and so pave the way to industrial development. As it was< New Zealand woollen mills could net cope with the present demand, and in other directions the Stores Purchase Board had found that the required quantities of New Zealand-made goods were often not available. That showed there was great msed for development, and it was to be aoped that British .investors; would be encouraged to enter further into the field of New Zealand industries.