INDUSTRIES' COMMISSION.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 17544, 10 April 1919, Page 7

INDUSTRIES' COMMISSION.

WANGANUI SITTING

HEARING OF EVIDENCE

The Industries' Commission, Messrs C. A. Wilkinson (chairman), Veitch, Hudson, Poland, Hornsby, Pearce, Dr. Newman, held a sitting at the Municipal Chamber yesterday.

The Mayor (Mr. C. E. Mackay) urged the completion of the hydroelectrical power scheme and informed the Commission of the municipal activities and the Patriotic Association's soldiers' settlement scheme.

Mr. J. F. 1-lollowa.y, of the Restar Company, submitted products of their industry which he claimed was a basic one assisting others with the institution of good roads to carry produce. A great handicap was the high railway rate charged on tar supplied to local bodies. If local bodies were enterprising enough to go in for good roads they should be encouraged. Whereas road metal was carried 5 0 miles bjr rail at 3/5 ten, and light tar at 9/10 a" ton, a charge of l|J/5 a ton was made on manufactured tar.

To Mr. JPearce: As a road making material he considered the manufactured tar should- be carried at the same rate as gravel when* supplied to local bodies.

Proceeding* the speaker said there was a protective tariff on tar imposed into New Zealand. He did not think, however, they had an exportable surplus. . He did not suggest \ the raw material should be taked. j An import duty of 25 per cent. ' would enable Dominion firms to sue-' cessfully compete with outside competition. Disinfectants •produced in New Zealand should be protected. To Mr. Hornsby: He was agreeable to a compact that if 20 per cent, j protective duty was put on the pre^ sent price to the public would not be I raised. The speaker urged a protective duty on naptholene ciirystalls, and reasonable protection for paints and stains. He urged a Government industries' department should be formed in order to assist New Zealand industries. Mr. A. Dolg urged the protection of the New Zealand coal tar Indus- i try and its by-products. | TIMBER INDUSTRY. Mr. Jackson, manager of the Wanganui Sash and Poor Coinpaiiy, Urged the protection of local industry against imported articles manufactured Under conditions that would hot be allowed in the Dominion. There was also Customs anomalies that should be remedied. Standardisation would assist N«*w Zealand manufactures, An increase in pro-^ ductioh lowered the cOst of manufacture. Quantity production should be encouraged. The speaker produced a churn locally made and said nis firm had turned out between 2000 and 3000 -last year. American chufhs «ame in free; He urged pr«*tectteh of local industry so they cdtlldg co'fiiftete With the Iftiportied articfi. He protested against the Way the Japanese dumped small woodwork into New Zealand. To Mr. Veitch: If they got protection it should lead to reduction in price. To Mr. Newman: If a protective tariff were put on he would agree to government protection of the consumers. CASEIN PRODUCTION. Mr. HOltZj manager of the Casein Company, urged that the Department of Industries and Commerce should have scientists on the staff to assist industries. They would like to embark <&n the manufacture 6f fiMKcles add Wantied a protective, tariff. His company felt they were not fairly treated itt not receiving a prdihised Government bonus. Concrete would be the great future building material, and there wag. no- | thing better for it th&n casein paint. \ IRON INDUSTRY. j Mr. Heskith placed before th« Commission statistics in regard to the development of the iron industry and urged that Government assistance Bliould be given to the extent of j £ for £. He considered the irOh- ', «and at Patea would be u~, cheap to ; work as the iron-ore at Parapara. They now had a successful process. ] They would be prepared to accept a bonus lrom the Government to assist them. To Mr.1 Hudson: He considered separate plants were necessary to work Parapara ore and Taranaki j ironsand. They looked to the West j Coast for the necessary coal sup- j plies. To the Chairman: Any investigation of the industry by the Government would be welcomed. TIMBER INDUSTRY. Mr. Ewen A. Campbell urged the need of steps; by the Government to utilise certain forest timbers Which j were iiot milled and usually were | i burned in order to clem* the land. i Valuable woods at the present time j were simply destriyed. The speaker I referred to titolci, pukatea and vafa, and mentioned that kowhai was now scarce. Before forests were le*. »>y the Government conditions should be made that all the timber should be used. GOOD ROADS. In advocating good roads Mr. G. H Pownall explained the system in vogue in Victoria. Many of the present roads in the Dominion did not lend themselves to marketing produce. He urged that ihe Govr-rn-j mer.t should adopt a scheme similar j to Victoria. I j ROOFING TILES. i { Mr. F. 11. Brown, of 7an?narar.u.. I urged assistance tor the tils industry there. They asked for assistance to get an analysis of the clay used, the best method of treatment, and information in regard to tlv best machinery could be used, were also handicapped by the railway charges. There should be consideration'- when new machinery for i an industry was being railed.

THREE MATTERS

Mr. Gregor McGregor gave evidence in regard to flax, grass seed, and afforestation. He said no effort had been made to improve the flax plant. Dealing with phorniium tenax he suggested to the Government some years ago that experiments should be carried out. Various varieties were grown at "Weraroa and Huakura and the difference in variety was demonstrated. Flax being a valuable plant should be taken up by the Agricultural Department and improved by cross fertilisation*.

To Mr. Veitch: Ho. considered a number of the varieties on the Government farms should be cross-fer-tilised.

Referring to grass seed Mr. McGregor urged more careful supervision v/ith importations, owing to v-'eeds being spread. All grass seed should be sold with a guarantee of purity and germination. The responsibility Would have to be on the seller. Compulsory testing of Seed was in vogue in other countries. The Biological Department should be

primarily responsible. f Referring to afforestation Mr. McGregor suggested the Agricultural Department should plant small areas of 10 to 20 acres and the trees sold to the farmers at bare cost, the farmers to be then compelled to plant and cultivate the trees when received from the nurseries. If farmers were not competent to plant men could be loaned from the nurseries at the cost of their services. His point was tfhat tree planting should be made compulsory. To Mr. Yeitch. It would be a profitable investment for farmers. There was a farm of 400 acres eig^ht miles from Wanganui where from a plantation 2 7 years old they had all the farm timber they would ever require. Macrocarpa and pinus \nsignus were millable in 2 5 years. To-day the members of the Commission will inspect various local industries.