THE INDUSTRIAL SITUATION

Otago Witness, Issue 2902, 27 October 1909, Page 14

THE INDUSTRIAL SITUATION

A DISPASSIONATE REVIEW SPEECH BY THE HON. J. R. SINCLAIR. Speaking in the Legislative Council, in the debate on the Address-in-Replj', o*. the 14th inst. , The Hon. Mr Sinclair said: Sir, the programme of legislation contained in his t.xcollcncv's Speech is a lengthy one. and it js capable of a gcod deal of expansion. It is r.ot to bo expected that such a long Vst 01 measures could bs placed on the Statuto Bcok in any one ssssion Ido not propose at this stage to disouse in detail any of the measures that are referredtto in the Speech That was very ably done by the mover and seconder of the Address in the speeches and w? heard from them the other day. They cvered tho whole of the ground of his FxoeUeraey's Speech in an exceedingly able and exhaustive manner, in their edorceres which we all listened to, I am sure, wiJi a great deal of interest. I propose, however. 10 offer some observations which appear to me to have some general bearing upon, considerations which we should keep clear!} b-for© us when we are endeavouring to l~n*lat& in our important industrial mt^r'st. These considerations, I submit. ha\e a direct bearing too upon the conditions ot employment with which we were faczd during tho recess ' A sound attitude, ± submit, in legislating for our indnsa-ial interests is to giveall reasonable encouragement to both worker and employer, to prevent abuses by cither, and in t.ie interests of both to &cc to it that no lav/ is allowed to get on the Statute Book ro natter how much it may be clamoured for by either side which has a temdwey to div up the natural sources of wealth that are creating for division. Our gtea.concern should be to so legislate Uat enterprise may bs encouraged, that greater Sthmay be pranced for divmon .* that th 3 dividend to all may be lar?«keaping in mind that « can only divide that which w<* earn. In this country of our* we must always bo chiefly *&">£«* upon our pi unary product* but whJe tnat is so it iS ako true that it is *»!»»«* l ,° expect general prosperity unlass our second-arrir-3usi« S 3-tho?e ir,dwto« to which m honourable friend, the Hon M : Bai., inferred the other d«J-are maintain^ in a position t3t 3 giv3 x cmpl3yicont to our _«^ k «» trice of other countries. «c haw tJ >- member, too, that, while we may fm- our industries, other countries do so for theirs They prescribe the reactions that Sill be inrooisd upon tho cairying on of tfS industries. Their lection m effect becomes lV t cf ou«. We cannot get betond its reach, because ourp^M have to con-r into competition with then ». And so it is that one of the most difficu.t nu-tio»s with which we can be faced wnen ww 3 r «re considering how wa can do our l*»t for our industries— for worker and em-,-lover alik-3— is to deisrmme te> what ox- , tent interference with the- carrying on of cur industries is either possible or expedient. Some restrictions must be iii.?'.;sed. No ona at this tame of day, I take it w..l be found advocating freedom of con-tract. We must protect *ho?* who ar« kast ebie to pioteot themselves, .but in doing so we n ust hold the balance with absolute evenness We cannot assist either" worker or omplCs'er at the expense of tlift other. Th3ir intarasia are tlosely bound up fpgethe'r. It* an attempt ba made \o unduty a?si&t industry tjie worker suffers; if we 'try to unfairl-y assist him we eball fail. It Is not possible to do so. Any such n*fmpt wculd react upon the worker. A\c nii^ht appear to do it for a time, but tho i assi'-ianes would not be raal. It would I reacr. It is to those who carry on our .nduclrias that we have to lcok to pro^de in? noc:vsavy capital. They hiva to find j employ m<Tt for our workers — th?y hays to j pay \va2?s, and un'.e-.s ouv iaduatrijs can he car:-i-3<J on under such conditions of pr'ductioi ihat they can facs the compr-atio-i of ti.? industries of o-h°r counn-.os. «o cannot havo trcneral prosparity. Under existing ccnditions the chief CDinpi'iiiion rliat our induslrioo ha\e to face cd:::cs from the Mother Country. That is as i\c ciosiiv; wo pr3fsr to tiadc with h^r. Wp liavo given her a certain nie.ivar? ci pj'tfe'/eiice on certain ito;ns in larifi tintm^r.t so l!:a<. she may ahvajs ha\t» lirst tall in cr.r iiiarkors. ur.d as time fr> es on ■\\s hope to find ourscUes in a po-it'on xo stii! further extend preference. BroucJK j ul. crnditions u:id3i vhicii industries nf rarricd on in tha Moihor Country a"o 'i'liilai- to our o\vn. with tliirf difiersnc-' — M 1 jnporiant one— (hat whereas our indues i:s! ivoel: is or:'? of 48 hour*, heis oxtpnds to 53, 54. and 55 fcoui-iS. Fifrj-fsur hours may b~ taken to b3 the avcra^3. It hj.s alw<i>s been cssumed h«ra. and as 1 think rltrhily ? sumed. iliat on eigi'.t houts t'uy for 'iiinu'is a pare of tho \ycrk2ri)' charier. No <>i>e thinfe cf interfering with this. It has Lero:ne part o>' our constitution ; but it has to bj rrin?mDered that if shorter hours ore worked here than ai - e worked in countries with which cur industries have io compfte. .Icr.i^ ity is called for durinjr the l"ss?nevl period, oth'.')-\\ iso then 1 w-ill Do ■'iniiair^u p'fici3ncy. Ii is always put forward amo.ij? the r?asons for sho/ton'.ric? the houie of labour that as gocd work and as much work will b? done in a reasonably si ort day a.s in a long one. My no'rit is ilmt Ihti lias lo bo remembered in liractica. In addition to this competition there is that -.ihich cotnes from ths United Mates and from German y I am not sjc in? to lefer to the coniijotit.ion from tlie colo.iies, because their conditions of production are somewhat sini'lar to our own la oncJi of ti;ese countries — that is, in Germany and tli3 Unite J Ft-ates — Iho industrial week is oru of 60 hours. It w ili b-a found, I believe, ihat in Germany they work from an hour to a:i hour and p.-half longer ihan ih<?y do in England, while in the U,jii,ted Stales they work longer; and where shifts are worked, much longer than they do in the Mother Count >■</. The Hon. Dr Findlay : Is that general ti'roujrhout all tradf^? The -Hon. Mr Sinclair: It is general: but the-re a'-a d:ft v vo:it hours worked in different trades, and the average in Germany as far as I can gather extending o^ot a number trades is about- what I have stated.

Competition from Germany, even under existing conditions, is fairly keen. There is greater competition than we might suppose from- a reference to the figures thai arc given in. the Year Book, because- tbe compiler is not "able to differentiate 'between the country of production and the country of shipment. I ha\e no doubt whatever that considerable quantities of material cot.c to us from foreign countries Ma England, which get that preferential tieatment which was intended for our own people -a'one. However that may be, competition with Germany is increasing, and from what we know cf trc conditions under which her ir.dustricj are carried cv we shall ha'i a to face- greater competition as time passes. Our German fri one's, as we all know, aie an ii.dustr:ous p-jople : they apply themselves with energy to the work of production; they have every advantage that technical education can give them ; 1:0 country has done more to tr.orougivy qualify her workers in this direction to taka a successful part in that international competition for trade which is becoming ke-aner year by year than Germany has ; and jttet a> we should expect from the business paople we know the Germans to bo when "they epend fcr this purpose they expect to get for that expenditure. Th?y sow, and th-y expect to reap; and co it is that as their wcrkera come into ths workshops they are ghen every encouragement to give* the result, of the technical education that is piw ided for them at siK-h expe-nss-io bscom-i gcod producers. Most honourable members are no coubt familiar with the contents of Mr Slwdwell » beck on industrial efficiency The writer set out to examine dosaly into the. conditions unoer which industries are «rmd on in the. three countries from which conic the cmef competition we ha\e to face. Inis is r.ow £ S» up th 3 result of his ob^xvaticis in Germany: — "G-wmanv has cVarly refrained fro.n i'Tvccsii"" rigid requireai^rts en ir.anuiacl'^« of set purpose, becou&e m «>me it has nrt hesitateo to R o beycr.d En?lfeh law, notably in regard to tharao of ohildrso ; in otlica- words, it has k?pt in view the need of cncourasinn ij-oustrial enterprise in the ii.t^-c.ts of the CiSnm^aify, * wdl os that cf Protecting workers: a.:id it has endeavoured .o hod tb.3 balas^-3 b-atwecn these autio-*. i»is s part of a gcnoml policy. Tho factory laws are an example of the extreme eai3 w'.iic-'i is taken in Germany by vhe Losisl'tar? end the Government to assist incl.itfia' er«t3rpri;-3 as muc'i as po^ible, a;-cl V-ind-r it as V.lds us is compatible wit'i otlw duties. . The test of success is the attainment of tho obicct. which is here to protect the wcrkp ople^ without di:courac:in^ cnierpiis?. a:sd v i^e whcla Gei-.iiau" scheme, ulw'.i mc!vtl3» t.:at most important eompleiwni:— ti:e fc'iat" iruira-iro sr |»m- b3 taktm into account, there is. in my opinio>n. no doubt tliat it does attain the object more iatisfactcrilj than oiuown. The wcrkme-n -iio better cared for, and the manufacturer are, most, certairdv, k 13 hindered." I submit that this is a sound ideal. It ie busimsslik*, and it is at the Fame time humane. Germany recognises, as e\or? bu^inCispcopls must recognise, that if her work is to lie kept for nor o-.-.n worker, which is what we want here, and is not to be 82i)t to other countries, her production liiGGt take place under conditions which, will ena-ble hor to compete with tlhe ir.du«triss 'of ot'i.?-r countries. Mr Shadwall t-elh u.s that her worker is tetter oared for than in Great Britain: tliat is how tJie 6>stem has affected him : we all know how it affect 3 her industries: they have prosper-MJ exceedingly ; her trade has extended, her p,roducts are forcing themselves into every market. We have to remc .Tiber, tltcn, when we are trying to c!o our l»st for our worker and employer alike. Uiat if our work, is to ba kept for out own people our production must- take place under conditions which will enabl-3 us to fEC3 that competition which we can.net d\oid meeting from the industries of ether roun tries We rsass n^xt to rke TTnited States. A great deal of competition conies from America. They work harder there, Mr Shadwell telU us, much harder, than industrial workers do in the Old Country. He ajked some of them— men whem he knew had formerly worked in factories in the Old Liiid — why they worked to much havde>- in tho New World than the old. They had no particular loa-on to aive ; it was tl*e iy->ntiment of tho worker in that country; they wer-0 all ■encouraged to do as v,o\[ us they could for themselves ; they v/cre prospering and wore contented. There !f> th-?re no lovelling-do'.vn of laboui- to on? 1 <-o.nrr:oi dpad-k?>-f>l They havo nono ol I ihcs<» res; rietlons upt rj prcclaciion wliKh a 1 ry,tpni such !i- ours rnu-t impose. If a man io a gcoj worker, he gets jiccd paj . , We may not hkc the h?6t?m — .-cine may ! object \ei\\ to it, — but th.tt is not 1 tho qi-.-Mion. W-f ha\e to take things a- ' w<j find them: wo lun-o to conipcte wii! 1 1: -i indisti'its. mil tlie rv^^ult i* j'.'-t cv. v; , might ev;-ec-r. I i-aw in c::o of tji° ioca • pa'^r- -cn:e time v< r o a ropt rt of a m-~cfinc t.ill.'J to cons ci<?i" t!i^ quc^-'ion <A un^in ]>!o> unrif. On- 1 cf the -peakor- i 1 - lei^ortec • to lia\c- icferfd cor-'plaininply to Ihe ex < tent to whVi \")K--ric2n nr<;duci- c\m« . ir!o cu 1 - maikcts. T^s cot this, just whai !wo miifht expect 9 Should v. c not o\\jCC J that the industries of a couiitrv who«-< , s;. si'in or j-'oducticn is a favoura!)'" c>n< j would be able to com]>cta pucccs'-fuily ii ! aiiy market? N-eed wo be btirprisod tha j thf.v com]'cto sufce-^fully with our indua I tri-e^ when wo bear in mind the r^strlctec j conditJons ur.der which we produco? '. ! that at v. «-ub r <?o.UPnf mootin'r th '•■»'» g.'n ' il-emen jjafsed a ro.-oluuon ask'.n? t\-\o Go I wrnment to '.top <-u?h mr 01 '■ati'-n It- tha the way to face the difficulty — by thrcwin; up tho sjjonge? Should we not rath» ox;>ect that we fchould examine carefull; into our own conditions of production t< sec whether, perchance, they may not Irresponsible, to fome extent at any rate, fo our industries being so sensitive to th competition of those of other counti ies Is not the industrial worker of Au.= tralaeia as good a producer a ho of the United Sfate 1 . or of an; country in the world? We know h is so pot-onti&llv : if ho is net so aptuallv why is it T What is fhc reason for it Everyone will admit that where they p-c duce on a gigantic ecale as in America thr> have many ed\antages; but allowing fo that to the very utmost, it does not a< count for all the difference between the. production aad ours. The producHvone; of the industrial woiker in the Vn-fc"-States--I »m speaking, be it rememb?'C( of second^n industries — is nearly tl.r: I times as great as that cf the indu-jtri' ! workew in Australasia- Our industry 1 have to face that compel iiion. « «=

would those cairying on the in<lu=tric3 ► of Australasia think if they were suddenly [ to realise that the whole of the machinery . [ in^ usa in their factories was little more ' than one-thrld as efficient as that used [ b\- a trade compstitor ? Woul-d they cons suler that under these conditions they : would h-a-ve a reasonable prospect of carrying on thoir industries? What encou- ', ragement would there be to pos;<?;sors cf 1 ca]<ital who might be conteiiiplating it? investment in industries to <'o so ? Would ' rot those already engaged in such mdus1 tries, if they hoped to cirry on with success, not have to leplace their machinery with thai as efficient aa iha-t used by their ' rnals"/ Our industries Ka - . c to face tins competition: how are th^y to <'« 10 V Ilcw are they to keep work for our own ivorhcio and pay them good wages . Is it believed that they can be a-sisted to do tlzilcn b3 - the Arbitration Court further rediicing the houis of labour, ar.d in that way otiil lessening production — pioduction, which is ths very life's blocd of industry, — and thus widening the gap v. hich there already is between our ]>io-duetiveive-s and that of courjti ies -n ith • which we ha\e to compete"' Or is )t bL>lie\ed that riiey can be helped by the court increasing wages and w adding to the ccst of production unl f>. and alwajs unles s . \aluu is Cl^ 'n tor such aw.ux'.b .' We know \ery well that when the Arbitration Court 1* applied to to thorten houis. of labour or to incre.ise pay there in no intention whatever tha-t \aliiL' should be <ri\en^ either in the shape ot betti-r work or of more cf it. 11i?y are asked a? concessions, pure and s.inple. Is it v riously bolievod that we can assist labour by adopting that plank from the po.itir-al plattorm of a labour body which suppo.t; the continued gradual diminution ct the hours of labour until employment is iminJ for all V Think of such a proposition coming from workers— a proposal to commit industrial suicide ! Ib it lorgctten, or i-j it ignorncd, that*tho laws that aie behind producticn are not enacrcd by Parliaments '! In not any of these wa> s can we help industxi-ca or workers. Wo must have greater produocion, and wh. j n irtcre snail na\ - e> been prcducid if thcie shall be any taking pare in that work cf production not getting a fair share or th? joint product ot capual <ir<d labour, by all means let him go to the court, and Le given more. But let the iuixl b3 cr;at d before an attempt is made to divide iili our industries are to prosper there n:u^t be greater production. Grea ; er exertion niu-:c ba put torward, and, of toiuse. p.sid for— greacer activities c-speciallj on ihe parL of those who now find their stanGa-d of efficiency lowered down, whatner ous to their own action or to that of i.he sjstem und^r which they work, to the le\cl cf th? pooie^t worker who can earn tho m.nnnum was'e. Air iShadwell tells uj why it w that England, which had such a long start, ! is being OAertaken by the Unn&tt Sta p cs I ard b\ Germany, why it is that they are now, n.ot only' her competitors, but hrr rnals. in trade. He gives the reason in one word, " Work," both countries apply themselvea with igour to the no-k ot pioduction. Germany has achieved her succes s — and no one- ought to grudge it to j her— by the patient industry ot her people ; the United States by that acuity wn.cn animates the worker as well as the empdoyer. I belie%e that our lesser producTiheness; that pressure which th= •aecisicm of the Arbitration Court have imposed upon, some of out industries; that host. lity to capital which is eeen m some direction*, fomented as I believe by those who are no true friends of labour, have done a great deal in this Donunion to discourage enterprise, and to bring about tho&e conditions which are bow forcing many of our industries to import that wh.ch thsy u-.ed to manufacture. WhileL believe these causes are largely reI sponsiblo for those conditions we are i greatly to blame; for \ie keep on the I fitatute-book laws which, in their present I chape, do not encourage ex*; tion, and- ! without exertion you cannot have satisfactory prcduction. Much of the legislation of a young country, especially legislation which endeavours to deal with the 'Micult problem of the relations between , capital and iabcur, is necessarily largely , experimental. If it is not well de-feigned : i to effect the purposa for which at was i intended it ought t.> be amended. lam \ a supporter of the principles that underlie I our industrial laws,; I am a believer in ; the continued existence of the Arbitiat'on ; Court. I think it is a good thing that 1 a minimum wage si*ou!d bo lived so tn.'it abusis may bs p. svc.it *d. It Is the n.te • at which it should be fixed that I regar-1 ! as tho debatcable ix>int. Bui while hold- , ing these \icv\s, 1 ard ea+isfi^d that our ' la-ws ought to La amended — lhat law, which <do not enccur.tgo o\«jition. and ; which therefore caniat encourage pro;iuciion, but wheso gcnsial tendency i^ 10 [ ijwer down liio sLandord of efficiency oi 5 lab.jui- to one common (Vcd love!, are J o-onomicsilly iiijii/i iia— that t)-,ey do not f -,a;t cur uoikors, wr indusrik'.-. or .ur \• 1 viaimunity I maj be to.c — and it woulM r | bo i>.M-fcc*tly tnw'-that .. ji:iv eiicoura^pj msnt is gnen to os^itioi. In uuiriy ot our imlusi,rk>s more than ths minimum [ ' wage Js paid. That, 1 b2!'p\.->, is done ' t-> a groacer e.\t :it tlian is generally sup- \ I jiosed. I uir'srstanJ th;>c the Labour \ Oepa:t;nent either lus collecleJ or is colI<cting e\iden-e upon th:s tltat ha 3 been ' a-ktd for by a rerer-r visitor (Colonel \ I Weinstock) who tame to inquire into our j industries and I .shall not be surprised if j it is shown to b<* demo to a greater extent r than is supposed. But thut is not euffi-c-iont. Our system sbou'd be zo amended I that there shall bo no tendency for the r j minimum wase to becom-n the standard ; I wa^e— that av.arth may be made more \. flexible and moro readily adaptable _to y existing conditions. Our system gives q 1 -such poor encouragement to the efficient c I worker that if we go on much longer r! a ' we arc doing we cannot expect to keep oimm w ith ua. We have spent largo sums I in providing technical education for cur '.'. ! worker' a.= Germany has done, but are wo tctting \aluo for our expenditure? That 1 is a question the peoph will assuredly c ! ;.sk. for our sj stem do-s not oneourajre • I tho work-?>- when he ftcos into the v.orkv ! shops to give the lesults of \bo f»c-hr.ical )- ■ education which vc liavc at sjch groac s j exneiLse provided for hm. This f-y=tom r I of' ours instead of encouraging exortu-i, - I instead <- giMnjr to it the stimulus d r ro'-vavd, sh tw= a, disposition merely to count y» lic-a'is— adopting in principle the view put d forward, as I understand, by a certain 1, I ruction cf Socialism — that payment skill •<■ ! !x> cdju'ted not t-o valr>» but to ncec's. ll The- industries of no country will prosper under such conditions; they cannot keep it their work for their own workers ; much

of it wnsl fto to cilurv cou:;lnes. foi 1 they < cannot faea tbeir cornpetuions. In urging; | as I do that greater encouragement shall I bo given to exertion, let it be understood what I mean, by exertion. J. am not advocating any system of forcing. I detest it. I have condemned it before, and I do so again, as being nothing but a relio 1 cf the lash of the slave-driver. The j measure of exertion that I am supporting is that which would give us the utmost productiveness of every industrial unit we have, no matter how great its efficiency — right up to, but not beyond, iti normal pac? — no forcing. The Arbitration Court will take very goc-d care of that. If we had production on that basis instead of un-dor cur existing sjstem. whoso gcnsral ter.dsncy is to lower the efficiency ci labour t'jwn to the level of the poorest woiker who can earn the minimum wage, we should be yetting much mo:« than we are getting now. There would bo moro steadiness of employment, more of our work wculd be kept for our own workers instead of being- sent away to other countries, , end a very "much larger fund would be d:\ ided among Jabour rs wages. The " difference between* what we are getting and what vs ought to ba getting— this Rap — is wa3iag - 2. \lt is that economic waste which is so seriously hampering our industries in theii efforts to compete with othe.- countries — to keep on our work for v.uv own workers, and to pay them good wag?s. And much of this competition, be it remembered, to which I have referred, is the compptiticn of the worker of our own race against the worker of our rcei*. It is net tho competition of the fit si gainst ths unfit. We are prepared to protect our industries against all those inherent advantages thai the industries of older countries possess, but we have never profesfod to protect them, and. no country dare attempt to do so against tlio greater industry of the workers of our own race in other countries upon the basr-. of an equal number of hours" being worked j under hun.anc conditions. For ovary , slackening-off of effort, no matter to what causD it may be due, a price must be paid. Each cne of us knows this. Those workers to whom I havo referrad, whose efficie'tc-y has beon lowered— and nor only tlicy, but tic irajority who ara working up to thenfull normal pffieiDncy,— and our industries, (00, all will have to pay for any lagging behind — for any slackening-off of effort, whether duo to the action of the worker himsflf or whether due to the system under which ho is working, for whcf.s e-vistenca we as a Legislature are responsible — all will ha^ to pay for any undue hampering of production the ruinous price of uramplovmont. Many methods have been tried for increasing wages, but the suraet way to do so. I submit, is to encourage enterprise, always, cf course, with reasonable restrictions. If anything is dopa to unduly ham)>?r it the way is being prepared for unemployment. Wo may be quite sure of this: that if in any country opportunities which promise a reasonable return to capital if it will invest in industry do not ofter it i« hopeless to look for general prospeiity. For a long time past — for many years. — until some 12 on_ 18 months ago, when sierns of a depression bogan to appear, which we hopo is now: passing away, we had a period of great prosperity. " During nearly the whole of that time capital was cheap; that means that it was willing to work for low wages. The less it was prcnared to take for itself the* more there was left for division among the labourers who were engaged in the work of production. It must be to the interest of a]l to give reasonable encourairement to capital to employ its?lf in industries so that there may always be a fund from that source for division. Nothing must be done to frighten it away, or to make it shy of investment. b?cau3s we cannot do without it. We must have capital just as v.'-c must have labour. It is to capital we must look to provide the latest machinery, th«> most efficient management : it is to labour we must look to supply the willing worker — both must cooperate if there is to be general prosperity. As capital is hut little use, to its posseaw unless it, can let itself our to hire, it follows that ifc will always be not only willing to take work, but eager to got it. I£ it cannot get omplovment here. like the worker, it will 'go ol&pwher?. In finding »mplo\ment for itself it finds employment fof the worker, and in that way creates a natural demand for labour. Iln-s much en-r-oiu-aa-^ni^rit bp«n a:iv<»ii her? of late \ears to capital to let itself out to hire isidustrallv? Examination of tiio figures put b--foro us Lust year by th* learned Attor-ii^i-iron^ral show.- tl*«t it has been working for poor w acres Add to tins that there )>m Ix^mi industrial vi rest, and occasi'inuUv r-'fi'so.? t-o supply it '.itli labour nr th» pic-o fixrd by til" tiiimnal to which *>ach ceccd to ref«»r tl--» ou»«t:on. n"d ni furt lt".- i-»-i=s'-n "»-d. T «-jliinit. ly look^.l I fr<? 10 sho'v «liv r-iipital hn-; not f*oi«ii <■ t-oil , MwrnnJv r •• labour, mid ii rhat v 1 <■' l-fii-sod tii-- !■ 1 •n-pi-^ 1 war* That if, ha-. iW iln"> «'• !- rof i !i<-->lilp' ,; R .i Tf i.iv I > :.->w I>p n t ,iccr;iW. why •'-! it fin' w?f?i ! t li-=~ pro=ihpvirv ivliicli hr-* o\er| co nianv w li. ffi-»at->r i'iduj-1i'»l e"f<'H>' < !>-^! > -^ j }<*•> not U^->n '''nisi' f'tn ir h-> the i-mil* j r,f r>nni f 3P It !■>•»<! boon flif»r;). That ! rr> »,ip<! tiicit if Ir". lv"»n r>f\"Tpr fiuf for *"in- I nlrvm^nt That i». '-ht* time vhc-n new i'ji'u^fri^s nro usnnllv started. If a ni«n r->n fi^t His oanit.'i! at <i low jjric^. b(* r-;>>i oxn'oi^ hi* •ont->'-nrrse to advantv"f '<nd mv T<tod wacw. Tt is part of the fhcnl roiiry of the counfrv, too. to / ot i ou<'t2'p and foster n^w inrluPtrie*. Wp bave as a S-tafcv by protect im them, done all in cur nowrr to maintain our inrlu^tries in a rosjtion to f«O3 the competition of other pountrifts. to koep our work for our work^js, to nay eoo^l wage': but can w« hone t»o pro^f-ve our indui«iries. oven with thf> prot«»f>Mva duties we have imposed, if conditions a'-e mad-3 "such that our producers ri-inot go on nrodu^iriff? Homo of our ir^'ustrio* fuyl tl^m.vlvw in th« dilemma now that thov cannot p;i->.= afWitions in co .-f_v. h^th^r broctr'pt about, by incrpsfios of waff p*. sho-tp,- hours, or looser productiveji^ic; — on to t)v» cf^uTi t, even if it be takon for trrTntrd that th^ cor^iimsr is not to he con--''!^]-^]. ns well as tlie worker. They li.ivr ro rnT'trina of r>!°nt from i"hich to tiV-o iV)i»^->. \Vh.->< .-rf tlipv pxpoot^rd to do \r- \h*v to r]wf> (Wvn. or are they to 1•» fo <nro imnoi'tinjr inrtead of minn'.-'t'iri v .''' T'ti* i-, r!w f f~nmo of them are <Wnsr row. Tl-f- find thit they can irnncif nrofital-W v.' ; '=> t}- v ran rro lonser nnnr.fjrhirp with n ofit When our iiidin-ti-ip<i rn.--t into this position they nra p-iriiouelv r.far to fcrca'c'Ti.? down. H'- »• will it b^ rx>ssible. new that impi*!***! maciiinfrj' is at work all ovr th.^ worW alike for shorter hours — l<--=---»r i^-od-.'c+iyo-n<«s — to compete perusal "•itlv. even v ith

• Th<? value of the exporc of dairy pro'L:ce last v«>ar was £2,600,437. an increase ■A £12^2,323 upon the previous season*. 'otal.

assistance we g.ive, against longer hours and greater production? This is surely a question for the worker as much as for the employer. All desire to see his conditions of living improved, to see him in constant employment, and b^ing paid good wages; hut this can only be don^ by producing more, not by forcing the producer to the wall, and in that way diminishing the natural sources of wealth that are created for division. It is idle to suggest that we should go on increasing our protective duties. The difficulty will rover be Folved in that way. If our industries cannot be carried on profitably with all the assistance they are getting from protection now, plus ■ the ad\antage they derive from freight charges having to be paid for bringing foreign goods here, they must clo*3 their dcors. The great ma«s of our people who are now bearing this burden cannot be expected to subsidise our -industries or our 60,000 industrial workers to a greater extent. Moat candidates for parliamentary honours arc too intelligent not to know that they ere sowing the wind if they encourage labour (o insist upon conditions that must mean ruin <o industry unless value i-> givon for tli*>n:. J may be tokl that this i< the old prediction which ha; not been icalisexl. But, unhappily, it is beir.j; realised. For a« year after year ps=ses our industries are impoitiiig more and more of that which t!i.-y us«l to manufacluie. It may be said that our industries manage, at any rate, to get along even if they do not all flourish. Nothing is more certain than that the exi-fence at ail of some of them i? wholly duo to modern impiovcm'nts in machinery, in .methods, nr'l (o the {jwl'M- efficionov <:<f directne ability in the creation of wb'c-h the worker— ard I an «.opakinsj of th« m. re worker, for I know that many workeis have boon inventors, and have greatly br:ie-fitc-J their rac — the mere worker has ha<l none but a mechanical shaiv. But for thc-c developments. the«e gifts to the many from the few. indiiitik'j? in many pait- of tho British Empire must have yielded to the pressure imposed on h.-half ol the woikeif. and ha'-e closed their doors. Some, «■» know, ha\o <lone &o. Xctliing but still further de\olorwTi'f > pt of these factors — and who can say that it will- be forthcoming — wiH preserve to us all our Industrie 0 , unless we can, by giving greater encouragement to exertion, supplement the iaf<=»t machinery and get that increascl proxluctiv^ness which is absolutely necessary if cur industries are to successfully face that competition which they must meet from the industries of other countries.

The rector of St. Anne's. Poho, state? in his Parish Notes that a boy in the parish recently askod io bo sent away from his work in London to a farm .tr the country. When h« _ was _ pressed f or the reason he replied ' that he longer! "to sit on a gate and hear the birds M William Greene, the well-known Tnnoru artist, ha- three fine works th»s he :s serwline to the Dunedin Exhibition. One particularly good picture («avs the He raid) is a. etudy of horses entitled "The " Slave Market."