NEW ZEALAND FIRM’S LOSS

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1930, Page 16

NEW ZEALAND FIRM’S LOSS

OVERSEAS COMPANY BENEFITS. PLEA FOR DOMINION INDUSTRY. Sympathy with an Auckland firm which lost a contract for the supply of window-frames for the new railway station was expressed by Mr. \V. J. Jordan, M.P., at a function tendered to Auckland members of Parliament by the Auckland Manufacturers’’ Association. He said the contract was given t<> an overseas firm, whose price was £13,000, compared with the local firm’s quotation of £13,500, "The difl'erence in price was £500,” said Mr. Jordan. “The work would have kept 40 men employed for six months in Grey Lynn, but we are 'prepared to see 40 men disengaged for six mouths, to say nothing of the capital invested, to save that £5OO. “It is our duty to build up a national spirit in these matters. That was what impressed me greatly in Canada. At nearly every one of the 107 gatherings I attended there during the visit of Empire Parliamentarians, we heard ‘God Save the King’ played every time, but it was not sung once. Instead, they sang, ‘Oh, Canada.’ I am not saying thaf is what we would like in New Zealand, but 1 do say it shows the spirit. “A few years ago 1 went with my wife into Queen Street to buy some toys for the children and found it was impossible to get British-made dolls. When at last I was shown one which had a Britsh label I lifted up the hair and found ‘Made in Germany’ underneath. The point we have to discover is, who are importing those things. There should be the same pride in matters of that kind as exists in the home, where, the wife can say, with a glow of pride, ‘I made those cakes,’ or the husband, T grew those vegetables.’ ” . Mr. M. J. Savage, deputy-leader of the Labour Payty, said the custom of importing goods from abroad had largely contributed to the natiohal indebtedness. New Zealand could build up industries equal to ally thing in the Empire, provided the manufacturers and their employees put their heads together and told the people what they could do. No Government could afford to resist a combined. application for assistance. New Zealand was gradually being forced, whether it liked it or not, to be selfsupporting, just as other countries were, and it was impossible to maintain the principle of building up the primary industries solely. “Labour is interested in this matter just as much as the manufacturers, because labour draws its income from manufactures,” said Mr. Savage. "The more we can manufacture in New Zealand the better for those who draw salaries and wages. Building a market in New Zealand is better than building a market in New York. As far as the people for whom I stand are concerned, we will not stop at small things to build up New Zealand industries. If you wait for Parliament to move some of?us will be gone long before anything is done in this matter. The people concerned in industry must get together, express their wants and then Parliament will act at their bidding.”