INDUSTRIAL OUTLOOK,

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16641, 25 January 1922, Page 2

INDUSTRIAL OUTLOOK,

BUILDERS’ VIEWS. “ During the past year the building trad© has not felt the full effect of the financial strain which has proved so disastrous to many other industries and probably it is the most flourishing industry in New Zealand at present, with little or no unemployment in its ranks.” These remarks were made in the report of the executive of the Canterbury Allied Building Trades Association presented at the annual meeting of the association last night. The report continued :—“ Still the effects of the financial depression are bound to be felt sooner or later and it would bo wise on our part to render all assistance in our power to any scheme tending to promote prosperity in other Industries. With this end in view the association at its last monthly meeting resolved to co-operate with tho New Zealand Employers’ Federation who propose arranging a conference at Wellington at an ; early dat© to devise means of reducing prices and wages all round as a means of setting the wheels of. industry fully working again and thus minimising unemployment.” Speaking later in the evening, Mr W. H. Winsor, the retiring president of tho association, said he was not an advocate of cutting wages but he was an advocate of more efficiency. During th© last two years they had not had the same efficiency. This might be the fault of the employers as well as the men. Because of tho abnormal conditions the employers might have been rather lax. Although he did not believe in low wages he recognised that the country was in Buck a state that something would have to be done to equalise things. The only way members of the association could assist in lowering the cost of living as far as [ their trades were concerned was by cutting their profits. Jf they did not cut their profits they could not expect th© merchants and labour to cut their costß to them. However, he was sure that members of th© association had cut their profits to a minimum and he thought th© public should know this. Employers could not honestly ask the workers to cut a slice off their wages if they wer<s not prepared to do something in the same direction. “ This may be a bit strong,” added Mr Winsor. “but 1 feel it is the only sensible wav of looking at the problem.” Mr J. Greig, secretary of the association, said that he was not an advocate of low wages and lie thought that In order to save trouble with tho workers their association and similar associations should take the men into their confidence and try to arrive at some -amicable arrangement regarding the stabilisation of wages. An optimistic not© regarding tho pre* sent position was struck by Mr H. J. Otlev in responding to a toast. He said that vre had tho best country and the ■ best men in tbe world. To-day some i people were cry in" and growling without reason. AY© had only to keep a stiff upper lip and things would come round all right in a year or two. The best bit of news we had received for Rome time was the report of the last wool sale in Christchurch. A rise of j one penny per pound in wool meant i £1,000,000 to New Zealand. At th© I last Christchurch Rale there had been a rise of practically 2d per pound all round. Further, at Addington last week lambs had mad© 2s per head more than at any time this year and this would mean a great deal to th© Dominion. Mr Otley said ho thought that wo bad turned the corner. As far as New Zealand was concerned there was nothing to be frightened of provided w© put our shoulder to the wheel.