INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6090, 29 January 1898, Page 7

INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING AND SUPPER. The eighteenth annual meeting of the Canterbury Industrial Association was held last night in the Permanent Collection room of the Art Gallery, and, in accordance with a decision of the committee, was combined with a supper. This repast was one specially suited to an Association intended to promote the interests of local industries and products, for . the viands and liquors were all New Zealand productions. The catering had been entrusted to the experienced hands of Mr P. Burke, and was, as befitted his reputation, admirably done. The company drank New Zealand beer, cider and wines, all very potable fluids. The tables were tastefully and very effectively decorated with pot plants and cut flowers by Mr W. Jones, who did so gratuitously as a tribute to the Association. The company numbered about sixty members and invited guests. The chair was occupied by the retiring president (Mr J. R. Triggs), and the vice-chairs by Messrs J. A. Frostick and N. Jowett, the retiring vice-presidents. Among those present were Sir James Hector, the Mayors of Christchurch, Linwood and Stunner ; Mr E. W. Eoper (president of the Chamber of Commerce), Mr M. Murphy (secretary of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association), and Mr G. J. Smith, M.H.E. Apologies were received for the absence of his Excellency the Governor, Captain Leah, of . H.M.S. Mildura, Messrs D. i M'Millan (President of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association), Mitchell, E. F. Wright and Captain Marciel, and of Mr Bromley, secretary of the Association, who was unwell. After supper, the company proceeded to the business of the annual meeting. Mr Frostick's notice of motion relative to the investment of the funds of the Association, was postponed to a special general meeting to be called to consider On the motion of Mr Exall, seconded by Mr H. B. Lane, the nomination, by the committee, of Messrs R. Allan, A. W. Eeaven, R. C. Bishop, W. W. Charters, H. B. Kirk, J. B. Triggs and J. A. Frostick to represent the Association on the Industrial Federal Council, was confirmed. The annual report dealt fully with the work of the past year, and said that the committee desired to support the proposal of the 1896 committee, that the next exhibition under the auspices of this Association should be held during the Canterbury Jubilee year, 1900, and that an effort should be made to make the exhibition the most representative •oneever held in the province. The balance-sheet showed the receipts for 1897 to have been £401 15s 3d, to which had to be added a balance of .£2241 8 a from 1896, making a total of .£2643 33 3d. Members' subscriptions' had amounted to .£67 10s,- and proceeds of banquet tickets to .£2O. The expenditure had been .£356 2s Bd, leaving a credit balance of £2287 Os 7d, The assets were .£2242 9s Id, and the liabilities £76 10s 6d, leaving a credit balance of £2165 18s 7d. The retiring . President, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, said that trade generally throughout New Zealand had been good ; our industries had shared considerably in the generalincrease, the numbers of factories had increased 530, and the extra number of persons employed was 4531 duringthe past year. Thetotalnumbers employed in our factories for the last four years were as follows : — 1894, 25,851 ; 1895, 29,879; 1896, 32,387; 1897, 36,918. In his opinion these numbers would be greatly increased if legislators would stop introducing into Parliament the so-called "Advanced Labour Bills," which were injurious both to the employer and the employe. These Bills only caused unsettlement in industries, and prevented the starting of new ones. He quoted a few statistics of goods that were imported, and the greater part of which could be made in the colony, if they were only more selfreliant, and capitalists felt that industries would not be unduly interfered with by labour laws. During the year 1896 the imports were as follows: — Apparel and slops, £371,000; bicycles, £59,000; boots and shoes, £121,000; brushware and brooms, £11,000; candles, £32,000 ; cement, £33,000 ; furniture, £25,000; glass bottles, £20,000; hats and caps/£58,000 ; ink, £5000 ; leather, £71,000 ; twine, £9000 ; woollen piece goods, £236,000 j blankets, £11,000 ; total, £1,062,000. After referring to the Master and Apprentice Bill, and the action of the Association and the Chamber of Commerce in connection with, it, the President said that he noticed that the average of the decisions by the Arbitration Court up to the present time had been one boy to four men. A1 present there were employed throughout our industries a little .more than one boj to two men. According to this arrangement, should it become general, existing industries could not take on any fresh boys for at least two years. Now, he asked " What is to become of the 8674. boys thai come out of our schools annually and ar< ready to go to work ?" The proportion o: girls to women employed in factories wai much larger; to put on men and womer to do the work, of boys and girls was j waste, and would prove most disastrous ti induatries. He would strongly impress oi the Government the necessity for providinj for the rising generation in the directivi

of affording them every opportunity for employment in the higher branches of handicraft for which their primary education was intended to fit them, rather than to impose such restrictions upon their employment as would have the effect of leaving a very large proportion of boys and girls without suitable and profitable occupation. After referring to the necessity of the federation of kindred organisations, the president concluded by thanking the members of the committee for their assistance during his term of office. Mr J. A. Frcstick seconded the motion for the adoption of the report and balancesheet, which was carried unanimously. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year: —President, Mr J. A. Frostick; vice-presidents, Messrs W. W. Charters and A.H. Hancock; honorary treasurer, Mr T. N. Horsley; honorary secretary, Mr J. Bromley. (All the foregoing were elected without opposition); committee, Captain T. M'Clatchie. Messrs E. Smith, G. E. Hart, E. W. England, C. B. Cogan, H. B. Kirk, John Waller, E. Buchanan, E. C. Bishop, R. Allan, G. T. Booth, A. W. Beaven, J. Maddren, N. Jowitt, J. L. Scott, 0. W. Exall, W. Congreve, W. Eollitt and J. R. Triggs. Mr Froatick, the newly-elected president, took the chair amid applause, and was inducted by the retiring President. He thanked the members for his election, md said that he quite realised the responsibility of his position. Having to succeed a long line of industrial veterans and to come immediately after a gentleman of so much energy as Mr Triggs made one think of his own deficiencies. He would like to see the tivo hundred or three hundred members of the Association N expand into two thousand or three thousand, and to see the people generally do much more than at present to encourage the industries of the colony. He said that the amount annually sent out of the colony for clothing, brewing, basketwork, boots, brushes, candles, cement, coal, fish, apples and pears, furniture, hats and caps, jams, ploughs, matches, paper-making, soap, woollen and fnr goods and blankets, was £1,192,376, and Canterbury's share, taken on the basis of her population, would mean .£228,000 worth at English cost, or say £304,000 at New Zealand cost. He would strongly urge all who heard him to do their utmost to benefit their own industries, to use the locally-made article first, and not to look first upon the imported article. He hoped that the people of New Zealand, instead of allowing large sums of their money to go to support foreign manufacturers, would spend it in encouraging their own industries, and in increasing the prosperity of their own country. (Applause.) The toasts of "The Queen" and "The Governor " having been honoured, Mr J. L. Scott proposed "The Parliament of New Zealand." He remarked that during this Parliament it had been attempted • to' impose on New Zealand legislation which would be very detrimental to the interests of the colony, and he trusted members of Parliament would be very careful how they passed laws affecting the industrial and other interests of New Zealand. Members of Parliament had, doubtless, the very beat intentions, but frequently they sought to pass laws which they had not digested, and the effects of which they had not considered. It was, therefore, the duty of the electors to be very careful as to the gentlemen whom they sent to Parliament, and also to see that these gentlemen did not pass legislation detrimental to the interests of the colony. Notwithstanding that the industries of the colony had difficulties to contend with, they, were growing. He had been pleased with one thinghe had heard, ' thaton&gentlemanpresent,theirMayor,was about to extend his business and enlarge his premises and put in more machinery. Mr Louisson's brewer had come to him and asked if his firm could make certain machinery, which Mr Louisson wan determined, if possible, to have made in the colony. The speaker animadverted on, the action of the Hospital Board in dei tiding to send Home for a second Wor-' , thington pump, which, they had been i assured, could be made in the colony at i least as good and as cheap as it could be • ■ imported. He coupled with the toast the . name of Mr G J. Smith. , Mr G. J. Smith, in responding, said that i the proposer of the toast, in referring to , local industries, had referred to one par- , ticular branch in the prosperity of which I not even his Worship the Mayor could ; expect him (Mr Smith) to rejoice.; ; (Laughter and applause.) Then the . President and the proposer of the toast • had referred to labour legislation, and, i as they were met now for a little • social intercourse, he thought it would j be the best plan for him to say i that he would deal with such matters b on a fnture occasion. (Hear, hear b and laughter.) He could say, however, b that members of the Legislature, as a r whole, were strongly in favour of encou- - raging local industries, though their views f as to how this should be done were some--3 times rather peculiar; but that was owing , to their limited vision. He was himself t strongly in favour of the locally-made a article, but he must say that in' that f article there had been a very considerable s improvement. l Mr G. T. Booth proposed " The Mayor of a, Christchurch and the City Council." He 0.. .remarked that the Council might do more a in the future than it had in the past for g the encouragement of colonial industries, a The Mayor of Christchurch, in reapond-

ing, said that the Mayor and City Council j of Christchurch, while doing their duty in ! the interests of the citizens, must at all : times take deep interest in the welfare of ■ the industries of New Zealand and of the J Industrial Association. Though the city ! stood in the midst of an agricultural j country, it could not grow and expand unless ' its industries grew and prospered, and it I was necessary for the welfare of those industries that their interests should be ■ watched by an association such as this. • Industries often had to submit to attacks, i and it was necessary that they should ! have some such body to organise their J defence. The industry to which he be- ( longed had been, for ten years, subjected . to very severe attacks, but attacks or per- ' secution did not always kill. The effect ' on his particular industry had been to ( greatly increase it. On the company which he represented, the effect had been such that it was compelled to double its plant. As to the legislation pas/Sed, he had sufficient confidence in the good sense of the people of New Zealand as to believe that no very harmful legislation would be passed. He would like to see such good feeling between employers and workmen that no legislation would be necessary, and if that feeling could be cultivated it would get over, a great deal of difficulty. With regard to what Mr Scott had said, he (Mr Louisson) had tried to get all machinery possible made in the colony. With respect to the City Council's action in regard to local industries, it must be remembered that the Council had the interests of all classes of citizens to conserve. He wished that more of the leading citizens would take an active interest in the City Conncil, and would seek lnernbershira in it. Mr H. B. Kirk proposed—" The Chamber of Commerce." Mr Koper, president of the Chamber of Commerce, responded. The Industrial Association and the Chamber of Commerce had worked together in the interests of the Midland Eailway and of other matters, and had many objects and aspirations in common. The Canterbury Industrial Association had reason to feel proud that it had been an Anti-pre-judice Association, and had done good work in removing the prejudice against local manufactures. He reviewed the various exhibitions held by the Association and their success, and remarked that he hoped that in years to come, the Association 1 would hold other successful exhibitions, and would at length be able to establish an Industrial Palace. (Applause.) The President proposed " The Visitors," coupled with the name of Sir James Hector, whom he highly eulogised for his services to the cause of colonial industries. Sir James Hector, who 'was warmly applauded, said that he had been working in Now Zealand for thirty-seven years, and his whole life had been given up to the benefitof its industries. It was a great mistake to suppose that science, which he humbly represented, was opposed to practice, for, without science, where would industries be. He pointed out that in 1860, when hardly anything was known outside of New Zealand about its products than the value of kauri gum and kauri timber, he had been appointed a commissioner to the Dunedin Exhibition, in which were to have been found the germs of almost every industry now flourishing in the colony. In 1870 a Parliamentary Committee had reported on the industries of the colony, and he thought that that report was the commencement of active interest in colonial industries. Even now they must not hang on their oars ; the country had enormous resources to be developed. The great difficulty in advancing the cause of industries was the want of proper education. • He referred to the admirable work done under the technical education system of New South Wales. Mr Robert Allan proposed —"The Agricultural and Pastoral Industries," empha- \ sising the great importance of these Indus- i tries to all sections'of the colony. : I ". ''Mr M. Murphy responded, and said tha ' no country could exist without agriculture. . but it could not exist on agriculture alone • they must have commerce and manufac- -' tares. He strongly urged the importance of technical education, and of following ! out the motto " Science with practice." j Mr Eollitt proposed—"The Trades and i Labour Unions." He felt certain, he said I that the Trades and Labour Council was ; composed of men whose fairness and integ- ' rity would cause them to advance the interests ot their class, with due regard to the rights of others. He commended'the action ot the Industrial Association a ' combination for advancing the interests of local industries, and said he hoped these two combinations would unite in advancing the agricultural interests of Canterbury, especially by fostering a system of irrigation in Canterbury. He would like to fee' a combination of employers and employed i to work for the interests of both Mr W. Cullen, president of the Trades a^twn r Co? nci1 ' responded, and said ! tnT^^ thfliidMtriS 1 Asso- ! ciation had differed on the questions of the i ££wS? A |f entice BiU and .the Eigh? Hours Jjill. The memhowi *t '«, n -i ■ 353KSg£5Sl I wereat present. &««H -rJ3Sj/jgj I

workers were well paid they would return to their employers the money they earned by purchasing more of their employers' products. The Trades Council also contended against young people being employed for a considerable time without any wages, and then paid only a few shilling a week. It was a question of production and consumption, and the higher the wages of the workers or people, the greater the consumption, and the better for producer and everybody. He was sorry to see the Industrial Association opposing the measures he had mentioned, because he believed those measures were right. He contended that legislation such as the Conciliation and Arbitration Act was not driving capital out of the country, and he remarked that that Act prevented the workers from striking and doing such mischief as was often attributed to them. Mr E. Malcolm proposed —"Success to the Industrial Association." The President responded, and said that jhe quite believed that the Trades and Labour Council was actuated by the best of motives, and it would be a good thing if it and the Industrial Association could meet in conference. In regard to what Mr Cullen had said as to production and consumption, he would remark that the working Qlasses would do the best for their own interest by refusing to use any but the locally-made articles. If they did this there would not be many unemployed in the various trades. As to the employment of young people, he would remark that it was better for them, if they had to leave the colony, even from want of work, to do so with a trade at their fingers' ends, than as ordinary, labourers. The toasts of "The Ladies," proposed by Mr E. C. Bishop and responded to by Mr A. W. Beaven, and " The Press," proposed by Mr A. H. Hancock, were honoured, and the meeting closed. During the evening songs were admirably sung by Messrs Young and E. Sullivan.