NEW ZEALAND GOODS

Waipa Post, Volume 42, Issue 3303, 30 May 1931, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND GOODS

"If we took for our motto for the coming year, 'New Zealand goods for New Zealanders,' we would be taking a very good step," said Mr Will Appleton, retiring president of the Wellington Advertising Club, at the annual meeting last Wednesday evening. "The time has come when we ought to push New Zealand goods more, and I think it should be a recommendation to the incoming executive that it should make arrangements for addresess and lectures during the year ahead which would strike that note. I think it is something practical which the club could well join in. "If every person in New Zealand put New Zealand first we would get a tremendous fillip to our own industries which would help to alleviate our evils. If we took the principle of saving 'We are producing stuff in New Zealand —why not use it and keep our own industries going,' we would prevent rmuch distress. The trouble is that the people of New Zealand have not been trying to keep New Zealand going. "Just the other day I heard of a manufacturing concern which is closing up. Between 40 and 50 girls are going to be put out, simply because frocks are being imported into New Zealand, and sold at prices which make it impossible for that firm to compete with them. Instead of the present system of Customs duties, it seems to me that it would be much better to charge, say, £2 to £3 on each imported frock. Those who would buy expensive frocks anyway would still buy them, and it would make things much better for New Zealand."