A LANGUISHING TRADE

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1746, 23 August 1905, Page 2

A LANGUISHING TRADE

COAOHIBUILBERS APPEAL TO THE

PREMIER

PROTECTION WANTED.

Last Wednesday a deputation of representative coaehbuilders from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin waited upon the Premier with a request that increased duties be imposed upon imported vehicles in order that the coaicihbuilding industry in New Zealand might be saved from extinction. : ' . .

Mr Millar, M.11.R. for Dunedin, in introducing the deputation, said it was nor anticipated that anything would be don i this session to amend the tariff, but it was hoped that at an early date some relief would be given from the disadvantages coaehbuilders were suffering under. At the present time the industry was simply in a state of decay.. Members of the deputation then explained the reason .of their coming. They said that an increase in the tariff duty on imported vehicles was of vital importance not only to employers hut to employees and the rising generation of the colony. At the present time employers were paying higher for raw material for their business purposes than formerly, and they .were paying higher wages. They did not object to paying higher wages to their employees, but they could, not continue doing so unless opportunity was given to prevent the importation of vehicles going on at the present time. The importation was increasing yearly, and the result would he that New Zealand factories would simply become repair shops. What they had decided to ask for was that the Government should do away with the ad valorem tariff and substitute tariff value for each class of vehicle. The colony would suffer no loss thereby to its revenue —there would he an increase of industries and employment and an increase in the Customs duties. To shew the increase of importation, they read to Mr Seddon the following statisticsln 1900 there were imported 237 vehicle® of a value of about £3OOO ; in 1901 300 vehicles were imported valued at £7000: in 1904 there were 692 vehicles imported valued at £IO,OOO. In five years: there had been a total importation of 2670 vehicles, valued at £46,388. It was pointed out that in Otago agents for American and Canadian vehicles employed their commercial travellers to sell seeds, etc., and, incidentally, tho vehicles. They could, thus afford to sell at a profit- oi £l. Manufacturers in the colony had -had to gradually slacken down and reduce their hands. At Wellington the disabilities were felt so strongly that eninlayers would not take on apprentices because the lads could not be tanjjj.it the business properly.

Mr Seddoft, in reply, said that it was the desire of the Govern merit to .see local industries flourish throughout, the colony. The Government had a duly to educate the children to take their places in the industries of the colonv, and to sc© that the industries worn given a. fair opportunity. M© had. always been a fair trader, and he wanted io see young New Zealanders

get a chance to learn trades- Whenever he had visited agricultural shows he had been struck by the fact that vehicles turned out by local manufacturers compared very favourably, as far as finish and style was concerned, with the article imported from America or the Old Country. As for stability, the locally-made article was superior. The trouble was that the work turned out in the colony was too good, and the result was that the lower price tempted the buyer to purchase the imported article. Agents of foreign vehicles could afford to sell at a very low commission because they en'gaged in other business. Both in America and Canada there was a surplus stock, and probably vehicles made in those countries could be purchased as cheaply here as where they came from. There was no possibility of the tariff being altered this session, and, in any case, it was not advisable for a Colonial Treasurer to indicate any alteration in the tariff. Such a course meant the disturbing of trade, and would affect the 1 revenue. He could not indicate anything. All he could tell them was that they .had the Government’s best wishes, and he had already said what the Government’s mind was in regard to local industries. There would be difficulties in- acceding to the deputation’is requests. Farmers would say that vehicles necessary for their husbandry were being made more expensive, but ho thought it was possible to do something when it was remembered that £46,000 had gone out of the colony. A lot of that money could have been kept in the colony.