LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20800, 20 August 1929, Page 9

LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

STRONG PLEA FOR SUPPORT. ENCOURAGEMENT OF WCOLLBNMILLING. (Special to Daily Times.) . p WELLINGTON, August 16. “ It is very plain,” said the chairman of directors of the Wellington Woollen Company, Ltd. (Mr W. H. P. Barber), addressing shareholders this morning! that in certain lines of attire quality is not now desired, and in women's wear especially durability gives way to fashion. Incessant change is a feature of modern life, and two or three garments of inferior quality are now bought where one of honest make would, as of old, be better for both appearance and pocket. “ New. Zealand residents may one day realise what does not appear to tronble them at present,” continued Mr Barber, “ that if pure wool is passed over for substitutes it must reflect badly on the" prosperity of each of them, wool being the Dominion’s greatest individual source of revenue from exports. Out of over £55,000,000 worth of goods exported last year just under £16,000,000 was for wool The pre-war values were £33,000,000 and £10,000,000 respectively. ’ : If wool dropped to pre-war prices it would mean ‘ £6,000,000 lees to the farmers and a serious matter to the finances of the country. New Zealand’s 20,000 sheep farmers, with their families, dependents, and workers in fact, every inhabitant of the Dominion should be an active personal agent for the hse of woollen goods instead of as many are by example, an advocate for the false economy of wearing clothes made from substitutes in overseas factories. We have unfortunately at our works had to reduce hands—temporarily, I Jiope owing to trade depression. If tfle country could retain but one-third of the orders now sent abroad for woollens tio industry would boom, and wort would be found for large numbers \>f extra hands. That is the case also with other established Industries. The obvious moral is that the place we live in should have first consideration by the Government and by the people who .should demand New Zea-land-made articles coupled with the uso of the country’s own raw material. “In regard to the question of the dreaded spectre of unemployment each successive Government announces as a remedy closer settlement of the land, bnt it should be clear that land settlement, no matter how vigorous or stimulated, cannot employ directly or indirectly all of our growing population. The support of factories abroad deprives of employment thousands of* young persons leaving our schools each year.”