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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 23

Industries for which the Raw Material is imported

Industries for which the Raw Material is imported.

The fairest and best way of promoting the manufacture in the colony of various kinds of merchantable commodities is by admitting the raw material duty free. The Customs Act of 1882 provides that certain specified articles and materials (and others, as may from time to time be specified by the Commission), which are suited only for and are to be used and applied solely in the fabrication of goods within the colony are admitted free. In many cases this has been found to be sufficient to establish a manufacture in the colony. For instance, in writing papers, there are several firms in the colony supplying writing papers at English prices, plus the freight and duty; and they are enabled to do so because they can import "writing paper of sizes not less than the size known as demy, when in original wrappers and with uncut edges, as it leaves the mill," duty free; and the duty on manufactured paper is 15 per cent, ad valorem. Again, bookbinders' materials are admitted duty free. Indeed, the following may be taken as a general list of manufacturers' imports admitted free: Aerated-water makers' material, confectioners' material, blindmakers' material, bookbinders' material, bootmakers' material, brassworkers' material, brushmakers' material, carriage-builders' material, dairy utensils, ropemakers' material, copperworkers' material, cotton-clothiers' material, farm implements, hatters' material, saddlers' material, printers' page 86 material, builders' (nearly all free) and contractors' material, machinery for agricultural purposes, machinery for brick-and tile-making; machinery for planing, punching, sawing, shearing, turning, and quartz-crushing; machinery for mills and looms, machinery far steam vessels, machinery for wool-and hay-pressing, manufacturing chemists' material, painters' material, millers' material, shirtings in piece, workmen's tools, stay makers' material, tailors' trimmings, tinsmiths' material, upholsterers' material, and zincworkers' material.

The above list also points out pretty well what manufactures are established in the colony, and most of these are progressing fairly. Why perambulators should be admitted free, seeing that there are makers in the colony, I cannot explain, except it is to encourage reproductiveness, and take off one of the many burdens of the parents of the occupant of the perambulator. But, with a long list of manufactures which can be made in the colony, the difficulty is to get them known outside the particular district in which they are made. Not long ago I was shown in the South Island a couple of wooden tobacco-pipes made in Auckland. These were of a very superior finish and make, and the price was certainly not more than that of imported articles of the same value. But it cost my friend 3s. 6d. for freight on these two pipes, and I have not seen any others since, though I have no doubt they are on sale in some parts. If the opportunity was taken at this Exhibition time, when people's attention and sympathy are attracted to colonial industries, to vigorously and systematically push the sale of colonial goods, by means of travelling agents, who would combine many lines in their commission, and who would perhaps imitate insurance agents, and give entertaining and instructive lectures upon the necessity for the people supporting colonial industries, much might be done. It is useless to expect importing houses to bother themselves with local manufactures; they may be neutral, but that is as much as we can expect of them, inasmuch as it pays them far better to import direct from large houses at Home rather than to collect from local makers; while the endeavour to be both maker and retailer in a simple shop or store will only be successful as a demonstration of the possibility of making a particular article in the colony, but will not establish it as an industry.