The Star. TUSDAY, MARCH 27, 1894. The Industrial Association.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4909, 27 March 1894, Page 2

The Star. TU SDAY, MARCH 27, 1894. The Industrial Association.

J " " ■in ■ ■ ; It is plaasaat to know that tha work of the : Induscxdal A3eociation of Canterbury ia to ' be revived. It muit be admitted that, for some time past, tho A.jsuciatioi), though, it . haa en various ocoa&ions dove sood serric«J i in aa unobtrusive way, has not bulked so I large in the public eye as it might have • done. Now, it is to b© hoped, it will begin , to faka a position vrorthv of it 3 very creditable early history. It- is nearly fifteen yecr3 since tho Indmtrial Association was founded v.ith the objsct "of advoc»tiu£ ; the fo-tsring and encouTa^tnent ci' nativa j industries and productions." Its oarco}? : for the firat eight yeais of iti lifo may well be deeenbed as a brilliant one. It held, unaided by ft penny of public aioEoy, two induettial exhibitions and a conversazione, wlrcli. wa3 pr&ctieal'y a third. Tbe good done thereby in bricging the products of our local manufactories befora the notice . of vnr people, and in advancing tho c«uia I cf lcoal industries, was immense.' Tao Aejociation did .notj however, confine its i . ensrgies to the promotion o: exhibitions. \ T.iß perßiatout tfioits to obtsin a reform of j tbe Customs tariff were largely inatrunienj tal in building up that wall of moderate i i protection which muny of our mnnvifac- i ' turars declare affords them all the defence ' j they require against couipstition froia onfc- [ a:da the coloay. Here it may bfs interpolated that it is, perhaps, due to the Buccega of the Association in this direction that it ; haa been of late ye&rs le^s vigorous than of yore, for theze was an opinion, come- . what widaly held, that its main object | was to obtain for our industries just such a defeace, and that when that object had been Attained, there was bo ; longer tha ssm3 neei for tha Association j" as there had been previously. This notion j ia obvipusly wrong. There aro still die- j advantages under which onr indnstrieß i labour, and which can be removed or palliated by tho efforts of a body such a3 i the Industrial Association. There are, for I instance, anomalies in tha Customs tarifi which operate prejudicially to certain industries ; and it is gratifying to know tha? . the Association has appointed a committse | to consider how these anomalies may be removed. The railway tariff, it is generally admitted, presents formidable hindrances to the development of some of onr manufactories, and the Association purposes to continue the* efforts it has so long maintained to havo such a readjustment of the charges as ohall do away with the obstacles in question. I A committee has been set tip for thax, ■ pnrpove, and if; is to be hopad that itj labours may prevent bur struggling industries from being crushed by oppressive railway rates. Again, matters of general importance such as the Midland Railway question, in regard to which the Association took a prominent and U6ef al part in the piißt, require to be watched in the interests of the public; and part of. the watching can well be done by the Association of to-day. It is time, also, that another industrial exhibition w»3 held in New Zealand, and it; is the turn of Christchurch to be the scene o2 the gathering. • The Industrial Association can, and will, j if it be properly supported by those whose ! interests it is endeavouring to promote, do Eplendid work in this connection. There . i 3 scope for its energies, too, in regard to , the establishment of a permanent Hall of Industries, where specimens of the pro dacts of our factories may ba exhibited, and where the agents of the manufacturers could ' do business. The idea is one worthy of earnest attention, and such attention it should receive from the Industrial Association. Again, there are industries, Buch sb the making of cement, the drain-pipe trade, and the manufacture of portmanteaux, which, would, probably, derive benefit from the fostering care of ' the Association. In order that that body may be able to accomplish any of the good ! work which it might do, it must receive i the support of manufacturer" snd public. The former should help by taking an active part in its operations ; the latter by - joining-it; as members, and by extending a loyal support to oar industries, by not sacrificing the local product to the imported, aa some persons, it is to be feared, are too apb to do.