INDSTRIAL EXHIBITION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19847, 16 January 1920, Page 3

INDSTRIAL EXHIBITION.

A DOMINION PROJECT.

CHRISTCHURCH ORGANISATIOMS TAKE AGT!OM.

A conference of lopi-o^cntlives of the Progress Beagim, Ihe Industrial Association iind (In' {’’hMinlior of Commerce ■vvitri hold lust in the City Council library to consider the proposal to conduct an industrial exhibit ion in Christchurch in the near future. There were present: —.Messrs J, A. Frostick, A. G. .Henderson, H. Mimtly Elliott, H. Bradley, H. A. Adioy, J. von Sicrakowski, J’. (1. Climie, P. H. Goodsir, I). Home, George White, Wvles. J>. B. Bowie, AY. ,1. Jenkiu, A. Black, G. 11. Judd, George Shipley and J. B. Eauraison. Mr r rostiek was voted to the chair.

AX OPPOUTUNI3 TIME. Air Frostick said that the project !iad bet'll considered hy the executives i of the league and the association. There j might be a difference of opinion in the ! minds of sonic people as lu the value of i exhibitions, while others regarded exhibitions of the products ot the country, at not too irequent intervals, as a very good thing. Olliers, again, while approving of exhibitions, mightthink that the time was not opportune, j'l his. would have to be considered. The [ nation was involved in heavy liabilities, | which could only be uiQt by money made I'n the country. The exhibition prowas not new, lor it was inaugui rated two years ago, and had been held | over until alter the war. on a promise | irom Auckland and Wellington of hearty and practical support, while Dunedin had given a qualified support ou the ground that it was committed to a. smaller exhibition at the same time, the value ot thn Dominion’s industries, Mr Frostick added, was known to very few persons, and there were still those who believed that Xew Zealand could never be a nianufriclnring conn try. _ Great Britain yas in the same position as Xew Zealand, for she had liabilities that could bo mot onlv by the industry of the people, and she was preparing to" manufacture goods for heme consumption and export. .She had all of the problems that Xew Zealand had. yet she was promoting a lingo exhibit. of British manufactures such ns the world had never seen, and that exhibition would probably reach Xew Zealand in 1921. Tim Dominion had the raw material to manufacture everything that she needed, and an educative campaign should be launched.

export of paw materials. X<?v.- Zealand must realise. Mr FreaOck added, bow much of her wealth wms exported in raw material and imported again at four or live times its 'a!ue in manufactured goods, and when that fart was realised it would be seen how necessary it was to manufacture irom the raw materials and export the surplus. Other countries, and notable uroat Britain, had to import their raw inatoi ml, and if Great ."Britain thought it wise to promote an industrial exhibition at present it would require. Tei"v weighty argument to prove that ihe time was not ripe in .New Zealand, there, was no market bettor than the homo market, and in many industries there was a big margin to make tip to provide the present requirements of loea population, apart from the added needs tjmt would follow on an immigration policy. Before the war Now Zealand imported as many tweeds ns the whole product of her own milk Australia, m leather goods, produced '-J per cont of the on tiro consumption, and was now after the other 2(1 per cent. New Zealand imported 4D per cent and produced 51 per cent. There Was :i tremendous margin for the development of industries. (Applause.)

I’HOGJIESS LEAGUE'S SUPPORT. M.r A. G. .Henderson, vice-president 0 the 1 regress League, said that- when the project was brought, under To league’s notice by the Industrial Association it was discussed from every Poim, ol riro- and the league mum!moudy decided that it should accord iR whole support to the Industrial Assoc'.', anon; that the time was opportune for an exhibition; that Christchurch was a. finable place; that the need for an exhibition of New Zealand goods teas nfgent, and that the whole of the elicits of the community should he directed to making an exhibition of Dominion products a success in educa 1 - mg the people as to the production ,i.lready achieved and the possibilities reload, the league bad considered HI '.ho arguments for aiUl against the project, and bis recollection of the- discussion was that the strongest support a.ue Irom country representatives hearing out the chairman's statement regarding the feeling. of primary Producers to sceondaiy industries ' Tnc eague was concerned with tho development ol all branches of industry and would dr. anything possible to educate tin public, to tho necessity f ()r devekmnig .secondary industries. It 1,-H made strong representation in favour 01 a Department of Industries -mi Gmiirnerce, and it w,s possible that wni.H'nT’ "' U ' C U1 ( ' lln ' sl vhurcb. Uu ' , i " rtn I , ; ,nj)orlai,t - l:, iement on icr 'l ' } "' i! " S understood that the .oiernniont was organising such a depat tnieiit on right, lines, and'crcatumni('nT U |' le ilol 'j fo! ' u -. Elie em-mirage-nuir ol secondary industries hv , m Tt •ovcrnmeni, had boon far from' admirIp- luit 11 '- v:is understandable, whore •■■ Government was dependent „ n i n . <; L taxation, that it should vk .y MM complacency the growing impure Horn foreign manufacturers, vet ir wai a se economy ttl courage imports at H expense o) national manufactures. tlr Bl r I'T ' PrC<l '"" ( ’ ,lrtt mi^ needed L ° maintain HR. even’ ut a hign state, of comfort, and if it •of a htile more, to produce at first it aon Id lie cheaper in the lorn-.- nm fm- n,e time had already eomo" when the Dominion had been unable i° {,,, v m nny market. The great British exhibition being organised on 'such hj large sea e that London could hod n. and there would probably subsidiary exhibitions at Mauchesßr Liverpool Glasgow and EdiuburT' ami po-siblv ni other places. If Zoidaml could institute a perumimu; industrial exhibition it would be a magnificent, thing for the country, and it might he that the coming exhibition conk be moved from centre t„ centre am Innlfc upon as an object lesion Mr Henderson added llmi unless New /.(•aland developed her primary mid secondary industries she would be hampered by her debt. If the v.cr . not in the country they could be -of ami the smaller the inqKirts hecaum tue .sounder the Dominion would become economically. (Applause.) ""I EXHIBITION TO BE HELD. ■

Mr 'W .1. Jenkm. president of the Industrial Association, said that home industries had always had hi, support Hi* ;i;ovcd

Dial in ill. 1 opinion of this rnen"K u is considered to ho in she uitorosts ol the Dominion that an exhibition of our national industries primary.- secondary and manufacture. should be held at the earliest possible date.

Mr H, Bradley seconded the'niotion. Mr Judd said that he was satisfied that his county would support the project, which wii, very favourably received in the country.

Mr Mhite said that while he was on the Mest Coast he had been assured by a representative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industrial Association that the project had the fullest stnmort of the Coast.

Mr Black said that the exhibiting was more an educational nec-d than anything eUe,' and he was sure that it would have the support of manufacturers throughout the Dominion. The few who objected did so on tin* ground lli.u labour was scarce, but experience

showed that labour flowed in to any place whore an exhibition was projected. .Ho hoped to sec a. larger variety in the coming exhibition than in any previous exhibition, and ;lu school children should have special opportunities to see the exhibits. There should lie a strong body of publicity agents and advertisers to help the uroject along, Mr Goodsir said that it was very gratifying to the Industrial Association to have the support of tho ITogiv,s League. The object of the exhibition was to bring before the public goods manufactured in .New Zealand. Th-' country" could bold ten times the population, but to induce the Government to take a proper course'in-regard - to immigration it was necessary to show the, great vealtli of raw material, and the possibilities of mauufa.rturirig. Moot was exported in great quantities instead of being exported in the form of manufactured articles; and to remedy the present state of affairs it was necessary tV bring the best brains ol the Empire to the Dominion U: swell the manufactures. A permanent exhibition bad his hearty support, and he favoured a technical Government exhibition at every centre once a year. A SOLITARY DISSENTIENT. -Mr Elliott said iliac lie, could noi understand why an exhibition mmnecessary. Anything that New Zealand could produce was snapped up b\ Ilia people, because they could not getgoods manufactured in England, aud it was unnecessary to spend money on exhibition buildings to push articles which could not be produced quickly enough.

it will ho nil right until the other mnn comes and enquires your market,” siiid a delegate. ■‘■Where from?” asked Mr Elliott. “1’ roiu ;r foreign market. 1 ’ said ‘bo delegate. ‘‘He will come 'all right.” J here was noWlv prepared to .sunport Mr Elliott, Lint Mr J. J>. l.aiirenaoii, taking a contrary view, urged*the necessity of extending business” n*l;*;o lull oi orders. How else, he asked, cotiid they keep out tho men who had ioiced war on the world? Jt wa.s time In lake stock, so that the New Zealand .Shipp.rig Company should he able in t.ouble the number of its ships comirm to New Zealand. It was a shorsighied policy to say that hcc.r.iso a factory was full of orders to-day U would he hill of orders to-morrow. (Jcimany to-day was lying ; ,t tiie, doors of New Zealand with low-priced goods ,hm "ouhl lorco Now Zealand niamifa'ttirers out ot business unless the people, could ho induced to support tile count;-; that supported them.

NO TIN IK MORE niWiriTNK. Mr Howie said that no time could he more opportune lor an exhibition, for the slate of affairs described by Mr Elliott had boon brought about by the nar. and an offon was necessary to maintain home consumption and manufacture. The appeal for exnort of , manutaelured articles had already arj tired, and it should he clinched. Mr Eros lick said that he had just, read an article on wool, writlcn in | HM'J. jn which the (f.iestion was asked wny England slum Id semi wool io Kh,uders and buy it hack, uuinnl'actnrnd. at lour times the money. This was going on in Christchurch, and rave material's adore v '' ar had been .sent nctiicllv ,0 Germany. There were manv arge'nienls m favour of an exhihiihm Ee‘,nT the war 1101) new homes, were eslahnshed ,m New Zealand annnallv hu. umhlmg mul been stopped by the war, and the .scarcity- of material was <T,ie 10 the necessity for overiakhm the ae cumulation : hut the samo tiling applied IV , Tl>o greatest financier , Ha. New /calami had laid for !t ,anv ,'eais had said, some lime ago. that il w:is not possible to borrow ton millions 11 tuenev ni New Zealand, yet the coi|.itry had louud ten millions ami a ere it deal more, and there teas never a'"time wlum there was more money m the country. This came about ’ because aetluies were not afforded for sendi-m Um money uu of the eonnlrv and’it was available mg only to finance the ."'V '»"* ul'U to develop local i industries. (Applause.) * 1 | TK.M POP A H y COMM ITTEK.S. ! i\li; Erostick suggested that fropiicnl 1 meetings should he held, ami (hat mean-; \ihilo two committees should ho set 1 Up, the first ol Ways and .Means, to I lepott on the lime and character of the exhibition, and the second, of. Promt- ' ganda. to secure the true national con-' cep lion of the exhibition. j It was resolved that those present! u '?l" M .‘p’ 1 ." •’ t(>!,l Porary executive. i ith Mr l‘rostick as chairman * i Committees. were set np as follow-—: Mays and means, .Messrs Goodsir (eon- j Bradley, denkin. I Black, Mints ami Mild; proiwgnncla I Messrs Goss (convenerh Climie. Bowie'’ Howard, Millivan, Shiplev and Hall ’ ■ The chairman and .Messrs (Mimic and I Goodsir were appointed a committee to wait on the Prime Minister. Air Lanrenson agreed to act as honor ary secretary to the provisional executive. Air Henderson pointed our that no to rural decision .had been cunie io as ro whether the exhibition should be a New 1 Zealand exhibition or an Empire, of.mi. 1 lion. 'The chairman said, that it was the |

general opinion Hint it should bo purely Ne«- Zealand exhibition

Air 1 lendcr-ani s.nd ;bo: !io neircwd ontiivlv uitii Iliat ~W. hi;' it I'tiipnt be well in hove o special bav of articles ivliirli were mil; nianii!a-o:aiw-rl in New Zealand bur could lie. nianufaeimvd. The ehoirmnii suit! that "tl’i-- rh>nbi certainly be tloiie, and the exhibits enuld lie obtained n v pineha.se, The Government also mipht be ashed to exhibit row materials" from wiiieb. such articles could lie : i.i'.m: > '.aired. On i\!r Henderson'-: 'm.liou it. was resolved, as an in-fr:i •;i mto Nlie committee to wait on -Mr Aiassey. ‘'That in flic opinion of rhis ira-tiim the. exhibition saionld he devoted to {joods sunstiintially inaiinfaetnr.’d in Zealand, the only exception to he a display of c'oods that are used in New Zealand but that, are not mannfaetnved here, although the recossary material exists in the .Dominion.

Air Black, in seconding the motion, said that it was ihe Industrial Associaiinn's intention to hold strictly to an exhibition of local indnstrier,.

’Hie motion was parried. 'ihe meetine' adunrned till dannary 28, alior attroeintj Hi in,ot lm'(ni;;titly.