THE IRON-WORKERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4138, 28 August 1900, Page 3

THE IRON-WORKERS.

Immediately after the candle-makers bad retired, a deputation from the ironworkers of the colony interviewed Mr Beddon.

Mr S. Brown, president of Hie Wellington Industrial Association, presented the Premier with a resolution missed by the workers of Wellington with a petition containing about 300 signatures. Those, bo said, bad been obtained in about half an hour that morning, and it was believed that many more could have been obtained had time permitted. The petition urged that the duty on mining and dredging machinery should bo reinstated, ami, if possible, increased. otherwise it would be the limans of trade leaving the country, and ; he prosperous state of things that had existed for the last few years ami s'ill existed would be cripnled. Mr Brown went on to say that the Arbitration Court, ot which ho is a member, had endeavoured in all cases to give a fair wane, and anything which would cripple these industries. and result in more ■mnortations, would mean either that Hie men would have to get lower wage.,, or possibly have to walk the streets. Mr Burt (Dunedin) pointed nut a few of the disadvantages under which engineers worked in Now Zealand.' i'hiy e mulcted a good deal against Australia, and yet in New South Wales be knew a firm which could get coal into it,: works for 4s 6d a ton, and in the nmjoiity <•! cases it cost from 10s to Lis a ton, while in Dunedin it cost 33s a ton. Then in regard to the raw material used in dredge building, steel plates an t pig-iron coidd bo bought from 20 to 20 per cent, cheaper in Melbourne and other Australian markets than [n Ne v Zealand. Coke could be bought hi Sydney at 20s a ton, but in New Zeeland they had to pay 52s a ton. Having to pay so much more for their material, and at the same time bavin”- to pay duty on a great number of articles in connection with dredging , v, o; they were not in a position to compete at all. The Dunedin foundries were not in a position to moot the demand for dredges, but now all the shops in New Zealand were getting the dredges to build. It Australia could compete with them, however, it would be a long wav worse when they had to compote with Germany and Britain. The Premier: There were in cases in which orders went out of the colony until the time you found yourselves unable to meet the demand ? Mr Burt: Yes; I can remember one nr two cases of orders going out of the colony.

Mr Cable (Wellington) said it was only since tho dredging boom set iu that they had anything like steady employment iuptho foundries, and it would bo to the welfare of the community it tho duty on dredging machinery was increased, say, lo per cent. If that was done, ho could sec years of steady and increasing employment ahead, and m every way it would he advantageous Ho and another in Wellington had been approached! with regard to introducing German machinery, and the person wtio mentioned tho matter pointed out that they could not bo expected to compete with Germany,-where a thorougldy com potent foreman received! 30s . a woeli. He knew of a man who was getting prices for ten dredges outside the colony.

Mr Burt said if the prices' of those ten were satisfactory, they would bo ordered ; there were other orders placed outside the colony, and one Melbourne firm must have £20,000 worth of ordeis in hand.

Mr Robertson said he was asked that morning for an approximate price for a dredge, and if he did not give a price which would oompete with an American price, it would, be obtained from San Francisco.

Mr O. M. Luke pointed out that dredging in this country is purely a colonial product, the result of years o. experimenting, which deserved some reward in the colony itself. It was not correct that the whole of the shops in the colony were full. Many of the shops, in Wellington were prepared to take orders for dredges.

Mr Wilkinson (Dunedin) sar iho number of men employed above the number employed four or five years ago was about ten to one. In Dunce-in there were 2000 employed directly in the dredging industry, _ receiving about £l5O 000, a year in wages, vi'limit taking into consideration those benefiting indirectly from the industry. Mr Phail, a Dunedin employee, urged that the proposed remissions would lead to reduction iu wages.

Mr McGregor (Dunedin) sa d hU firm was able to take more dretlv-T.oilding. The Premier said he was able to bring to bear a practical* knowledge on this subject. As the tariff r stood there were anomalies in respect to machinery, and the Government ran;e to the conclusion that somethin - bad to be done to remove those amnnal-.es. As they were aware, machinery for goldsaving purposes was already on the free list. Some portions of agricn’twal machinery were also free. [H’e total amount of revenue from mining _ lrl chinery last year was £1000: agricultural machinery, £1200; dairy machinery. £200; and dredging machinery! £SOO. The Government therefore came to the conclusion that there would bo very little injury done to the industry by the proposed renri-rior. He made inquiries as to why orders left the colony, and the answer was the foundries in the colony could not meet the demand, and that orders would have gone out of the colony, whatever the duty had been. He under-tood also that there were some articles on which concessions were wanted, and ho would ask them to supply him wd-h a list. He was not going to throw cold water on dredging, but there would 1 probably be a. falling-off in the work, ; and thri working men had work before i there was dredging, and there would |be work for them afterwards. their ' objections to competition with Australia could only apply to Victoria, where the price of coal was much the. same as in Wellington.

Air Lewis; They have not got anArbitration Act in Victoria. The Premier went on to say that he would place the views of the deputation before the Government, and they

might rest assured that the decision arrived at would be, to the heat ot their ability, in the best interests of the country. , HjNEDIN mONFOUNDERS ENTERTAINED. SPEECHES BY PARLIAMENTARIANS. The deputation of Dunedin ironfeundors, comprising -Messrs \\. Burt-. J McGregor, Wiiliam Wilkinson and v'iiliam. Phail, which waited on the Prevniev yesterday in connection with the proposed remission of the duty on imoorted machinery, was entertained at dinner last night at the Trocaclero by the Wellington Society of Engineers. Mr W. Cable presided, and Mr Samuel Brown (president of the Industrie. Association) occupied the vice-chair. Among those present were several nicuiDors of Parliament. Mr J. Luke proposed the toast of Parliament, coupled with the names of Messrs George Fisher, Napier, WitheFord, A. Morrison" and J. A, Millar, M.’sll.ll. Mr Fisher, in responding, referred to the iron industry as tbo foundation of all industries, and its interests consequently demanded careful guardianship. The recent expression of public opinion against any measure tending to impair the prosperity of the iron industry was very pronounced. The Premier, being a reasonable man, would doubtless give consideration to the representations that had been made. Mr W. J. Napier (Auckland) said he would support any movement having for its object the maintenance of the workshops in which our young men received their technical education. .To this end slight protection was advisable. Mr O. Lewis (Christchurch) was equally opposed to the proposed remission on machinery. Messrs Morrison (Oavorsham) and Millar (Dunedin) wove prepared to support the party which would resist interference! v, ith colonia.l industries. Mr J. 11. Withe-ford (Auckland) also spoke, and referred to the advantages that would fu-ernc to the trade and industry of the colony when communication was established with Great Britain and the eastern shores of the United States by way of the canals through Central America. Mr Samuel Brown, in proposing the toast of “Industries,” said ho had little tHiht but that the representations wide’; bad been made to the Premier would have the desired effect of •causing him to withdraw the proposed tariff change in respect to imported machinery. Mr Crabtree proposed “The Ladies’ and Mr D. Robertson “The Press.” _ It was mentioned during the evening that large petitions against the- tariff proposals, as far as they affected the iron industry, were on their way from the south, ■' and that to Mr Millar, M.H.R., on behalf of the Engineering Association, had been entrusted the task of presenting a document to the Premier pointing out the anomalies in the proposed tariff with respect to the products of the engineering industry.

ntnss ASSOCIATION-. NAPIER, August 27.

The Chamber of Commerce to-day carried a. resolution favouring an abolition of the duty on sugar instead of remissions on candles and other lines. CHRISTCHURCH. August 27.

At a meeting of the Canterbury Industrial Association to-night the following resolution was passed; —That this meeting heartily congratulates the Government on the introduction of the universal penny postage anu the remission of duties on the necessaries of life not produced within the colony, but respectfully urges the Government to re-consicl-cr the question of an alteration in the duties on macoinei'y (agricultural and dredjging), candles, cocoa, matches, ground coifee and patent medicines, all these forming important branches of our manufacturing industries-