THE INDUSTRIES COMMITTEE

Otago Witness, Issue 3398, 30 April 1919, Page 37

THE INDUSTRIES COMMITTEE

' SITTING IN AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, April 22. Before the Industries Committee Mr J. B. Paterson gave evidence as to' municipal trawling. The City Council opened .<<f retail shop with _ a capital of £20,000, which was borrowed with the ratepayers' approval. There bad undoubtedly been a reduction in the retail price price of fish, but whereas it was thought fish could be landed at £5 per ton, the cost was about £lO per ton. At present the council's venture was not. profitable. It had been handicapped by the trawler being commandeered for mine sweeping. AUCKLAND, April 23., Before the Parliamentary Industries Committee, Mr F. ■N. Andrews, representing the Furniture Manufacturers' Association, asked that the preferential duty of 12£ per cent, on foreign-made furniture should be doubled. The present duty on British-made furniture (25 per cent.) was. generally sufficient, in his opinion, except possibly in regard to cheap chairs. At present there was no large chairmaking industry hi New Zealand, and no competition with the cheap foreign article. He thought that the Government should do something to encourage the output of chairs of this class. He understood that there was a suitable timber (beech) in the South Island. He would also suggest that the committee inquire 'into the most suitable timber for the making of three-ply veneer, which was already produced in the dominion, but as now made was not entirely satisfactory. Another matter was the duty on velvet, moquette, tapestry, and other woollen and mohair materials used only for upholstery. These were raw materials in the furniture trade, and he thought they should come in duty free. Something ought to be done to restrict the export of kauri and rimu to Australia, because the price of both these timbers was becoming unduly high. SITTING AT NAPIER. "NAPIER, April 26. The Industries Committee sat m Napier to-day. The first evidence tendered concerned the tobacco industry. Various wit nesses stated that Hawke's Bay and Nelson grown tobacco was excellent, and it would pay farmers to grow the crop. Government help should be given to this new industry. Mr A. B. Fallower (manager of the Hawke's Bay Tobacco Company) thought that the company was entitled to a return of duty paid. Mr - T H. Edmondson (manager of the Acetone Company) complained\ of the duty paid on the plant and of the excessive railway freights. Mr C. H. Edwards manager of the Napier Gas Company) said his company was living from hand to mouth as far as coal supplies were concerned. He urged State vessels should carry State coal. He thought an increase in freight was unnecessary. Mr S. Harris (cap manufacturer) complained of the excessive railway . freights, and ! 'Mr David Whyte (Hastings) asked _ that the Mining Act should be amended in the direction of improving mining leases. A smelting and bullion plant and a mint should be established in Wellington.

SITTING AIT HASTINGS. HASTINGS, April 28. _ The Industries Committee sat here this afternoon.

Mr H. G. Apsey urged improved railway facilities both in the way of speedier transit and properly-ventilated trucks. He also advocated an incrcasa of Government loans to cool storage companies from £9OOO to £15.000 owing to the enormous increase in orchard acreage and the consequent increased fruit production needing cool storage. Mr Thomas Hoiton, representing the n.iu>.

sery industry, said nurserymen in Hajwke's Bay paid wages totalling £12,000 per year. Nurseryman were handioapped by the Government offering shelter and fruit trees at a price which would not pay "for production. State-grown trees should not bo supplied to wealthy settlers for beautifying their homesteads. Referring to imported trees, he said the Fruitgrowers' Federation asked nurserymen not to increase the price of trees if the prohibition of the importation of Australian trees were carried into effect, and the nurserymen agreed generally not to increase the price for five years. The difficulty was that the cost of production had gone up, and they could not raise the price. The Chairman said that the commission could not help nurserymen in the matter of their agreement with another _ body, even if they had made a bad bargain. Mr A. M. Robertson (president of the Hawke's Bay Fruitgrowers' Association) said the public was not getting the benefit of the industry. If fruit was sent into every home New Zealand would become a fruit-eating community. Fruit should be made cheap to the people. They had now storage for 70,000 oases, but the ' overhead charges and handling after leaving the orchards increased the cost 100 per cent. He advocated the New Zealand paper mills being encouraged to make corrugated paste board boxes. The demand for boxes was great. No less than 300,000 cases were sent out of Hawke's Bay last season. The Fruitgrowers' Federation was concerned in cheapening fruit. It was organising and linking up companies throughout New Zealand with that" object. The public in the cities -were not getting fruit at proper prices. , The f sderation desired to have depots at Wellington and other centres, and they hoped to have their own delivery soon, bringing fruit to their -depots, and thus saving the auctioneers' charges, to the benefit of growers and consumers.