OUR WHALING INDUSTRY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1258, 12 October 1911, Page 5

OUR WHALING INDUSTRY.

FOR EIGN EXPLOITATION

(From our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Dissatisfaction was expressed by .Mr Poole yesterday afternoon with the reply given by the Minister ot Marine to m's question concerning the fishing industry. The Minister said there was. no Jaw lo prevent whaling off the New Zealand coast ancl the mooring of vessels m suitable harbors as floating factories, provided the harbor and health regulations were complied with. The member for Auckland West remarked that the reply was very unsatisfactory, and was not at all encouraging. For some veins the whaling industry had been carried on, and recently a number of enterprising New Zealanders had obtained a vessel named the Hananui for whaling oft' the coast and to the south of New Zealand. A considerable amount of money had been put into the enterprise. Immediately after the announcement of the establishment of this industry by New Zealanders news arrived that a Norwegian company was purchasing a large vessel which they were going to I operate as a floating "factory, -together I with an attending whaling vessel. It was intimated that they were going to come to our coasts and* to use our harbors for manufacturing purposes. This he pointed out, meant the exploitation' of our fishing and whaling operations by a vessel flying a foreign flag, , and working under foreign labor conditions. This was a serious matter for the local industry, and if a factory of this kind was going to come and operate here it | would be most unsatisfactory. Only a few years ago the Government "had chartered the Nora Niven to explore the fishing round the coasts of New Zealand. He had no doubt that all this valuable information had been forwarded to foreign authorities. There was no reason why this big boat could not operate along the coasts and wipe out the development of the local industry. If there was no provision to stop such foreign intrusion like this the sooner they did it the better, if they were goLing to help the people of New Zealand to enter into the fishing and whaling industry. If any foreign company came here it should work under New Zealand conditions. Mr Poole went on to say that he had been informed that foreign schooners with a good turn of speed were exploiting the seal rookeries m the southern islands. If this sort of thing was going on the settlers on the islands should be allowed to take the seals themselves. These men who visited the islands were aware of the dates of the periodical visits of the Government steamer, and were consequently out of the way at that period. Reverting to the whaling industry again Mr Poole declared that if any short-manned foreign-owned vessel was going to be allowed to operate here it would be a serious matter. He understood the Hananui recently left £2000 at Dunedin. and no less than £500 m wages at the Bluff. The only alternative its owners Would have would be to put under the Hananui under the Norwegian flag and operate her. on the same lines as this big foreign factory ! that was coming to New Zealand. Mr Hanan, m referring to the same subject, declared there was no other place where such a state of affairs would be permitted. For instance, m the United States they would not hesitate. ■ Mr Poole : They would confiscate such vessels. Mr Hanan concurred, adding that they m New Zealand, on the other hand, were calmly looking on at what .was going on. Mr Isitt also emphasised the necessity for guarding against any foreign country securing a footing m the industry, and urged the necessity for the protection and support of local industries.