INDUSTRIAL MATTERS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 1065, 11 July 1917, Page 9

INDUSTRIAL MATTERS.

MEETING OF ASSOCIATION. INTERESTING DISCUSSIONS. A meeting of the Canterbury Industrial Association was held last evening, Mr A. W. Jamieson presiding over a small attendance of members. The Auckland Industrial Association forwarded a report of a special comi mittee which had considered the question of education in relation to industry. The chairman stated that in a fortnight's time he proposed to call a special meeting to consider problems I raised by the proposed calling up of the ■ Second Division, and the Auckland re- , port could be dealt with at that meeting. THREE-PLY VENEER. The Furniture Trades Employers' Association wrote endorsing the attitude of the Industrial Corporation in : regard to the effort to secure the nianuj faeture of three-ply veneer in New Zealand. Mr J. A. Black said that he had read a paper at the annual meeting of his | association on the question. Mr A. W. Beaven thought the association should go slow in the matter of urging the Government to take up the manufacture of three-piy veneer; there was already a factory in the North Island manufacturing it. Mr Black said that 'l.e Government was not being asked to go into the industry, but merely to investigate the whole question. It was a most important matter, as three-ply veneer was a great timber saver. The industry j already established, however, was not | producing satisfactory results. EFFICIENCY MATTERS. Mr Black reported that the commit-j tee appointed to inquire into efficiency i matters in the furniture and allied trades, including essential occupations j within the industry, had forwarded to the Efficiency Board the information it had collected. The chairman urged the other group conveners to get this work completed as quickly as possible. It was imperative that these reports should be forwarded as quickly as possible, in view of the early ealling-up of the Second Division. Mr A. F. Drayton said that the Chamber of Commerce had also set up committees to deal with this matter, and he thought that it was a pity that there should lie overlapping. Mr Jamieson said that the Chamber of Commerce was dealing only with special work, and would not overlap the work being done by the Industrial Association. A conference would be held between tin 1 association and the Chamber of Commerce. UTILISING WASTE LANDS. Mr G. Holford wrote that the greater part of the land which was being offered to the association in connection with its utilisation of waste lands campaign was unsuitable. He thought that the best, work the association could do was to try to induce householders to utilise their own land and grow as many vegetables as possible. Mr Holford's suggestion was endorsed. DELIVERY OF MILK. The chairman referred to the proposal to introduce the block system in the delivery of milk. It was not true, he said, that the block system would create a monopoly: the dairymen were not in favour of monopoly. Several appeals from dairymen were before the Military Service Boards, but if the! block system was adopted these men could withdraw their appeals and go into camp. Mr P. Willis asked for further informal ion. The chairman said that when the dairymen were first approached on the matter they wore hostile, hut when he pointed out to them the waste of time and hi boar involved in the present scheme the chairman of the Dairymen's Association, Mr IT. Bliss, jun., drafted a scheme which commended itself to the I dairvmen. The establishment of depots, as suggested by Mr Willis, would in crease the cost of delivery. The block system had the endorsement of Dr Biaekmore and other authorities, and could be improved later on. A municipal supply would put the price of milk up from ;">'! to 7d per gallon. It was ngreed that the question be dealt with at the special meeting. LOCAL CAMPS. The chairman said that he had received a motion from Mr \V. \V. Charters, calling on the Government to establish local or "trying-out" camps, in view of the probable early calling-up of the Second Division, so that; no man who was not fit should bo taken from his home and business. Mr Willis seconded the motion. Mr Drayton thought that the failure

of the Minister of Defence to establish local camps was one of the biggest mistakes the Minister had made. It would have saved the country hundreds of thousands of pounds if local camps had been established. The chairman said that they were not there to criticise the Minister of Defence, who had carried a tremendous load. They all had their peculiarities, and this hostility to local camps was the Minister's peculiarity. The early call-ing-up of the Second Division created a different situation in regard to the matter. The motion was carried.