The Marlborough Express. Published Every Evening. MONDAY, JANUARY 11,' 1892. OUR PROTEOTED INDUSTRIES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8, 11 January 1892, Page 2

The Marlborough Express. Published Every Evening. MONDAY, JANUARY 11,' 1892. OUR PROTEOTED INDUSTRIES.

•9 The Census Department has dono good service m preparing a paper, wbich they will issue shortly, setting forth the progress made by New Zealand industries. As it is easy to draw a distinct line between the time that New Zealand once for all took up Protection this tablo will prove invaluable to those who on the platform or elsewhere have to deal with the question of Protection and Freetrade. Though the paper itself is not yet before the publio a draft copy of it has been seen by some journalist, and there is an interesting artiole on it m the latest Trade Review. The bulk of the increase m the number of factories between 1886 and 1891 the return shows has been due to meat freezing and preserving, and flax milling, industries which are not affected by the tariff. Agricultural implements which are free, and which without any artificial aid have gained a high reputation show that considerably more hands are employed now than formerly ; coach building is stationary, while ship and boat building, furniture making and iron and brass foundries though each and all " protected "• show a falling off. A few figures as to the specially " fostered" industries are given by the Review, from wbich we quote; — "In 1885 the one block and pump factory employed 2 hands, it now employes 1. There were formerly 4 chair and washboard factories employing 11 hands, there is now 1 factory employing 3 hands. There were 11 clothing factories employing 1269 hands and producing £237,781 worth of good 3. There are now 18 factories with 1290 hands producing £166,579. There were 20 fruit preserving and jam factories with 216 hands and a produce valued at £32,292. There are now 19 factories with 117 hands, the produce being worth £27,255. There were 11 confectionery works with 110 hands, the produce beiog £17,130; there are now 12 factories with S3 hands, produce £17,248." It will be contended, and with some force, that the great loss of population New Zealand has suffered from has caused some portion of the lack of progress complained of. But this can hardly explain away all the difficulties. There are some industries wbich even the exodus could not have greatly affected. Take candles. In order to give this industry a helping hand, an extra Jd duty was put on, and it was thought tbat this would inorease tb& opportunities of labor, and enable

manufacturers to turn out a better artiole. f In five years theso candlo factories have* added five hands, whoso average earnings came to £102 7s 3d. In the meantime tho colony paid £2,384 per annum m extra duty to assist this industry, or m other words an average of £478 16s 8J was paid by the colony to find these five men employment. Tho Review points out that nowhere m New ] Zealand have industries been reported so successful as m Auckland, but between 1886 and 1891 there has been a distinct falling off all round. Tho folly of endeavoring to build up industries m a colony with so small a population is dwelt on with considerable strength, ond if, m place of . taxing " the Btomach and the back," as the pressnt Fremier of New South Wales auvocates, oui Government would tako off some , of tho heavier duties on necessaries, they . would bo more likely to aid thoje industries which employ considerably more labor, and would tako peoplo out of tho towns, an object which thoy profess to havo iv view. The progress mado by thc natural industries, as compared with the falling off m those artificially fostered, shows that tho polioy of 1888 has failed to produco results commensurate with its cost to the Colony. LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS. * Nelson Coach.— Tho only passenger by the Nelaon coacb is Mr Andrews. Bowlino.— On Saturday tho ma'.ch be- ' ween Messrs Thompson and Montiplay i resulted m a victory for tho latter by 16 to 15 after a well-contested gamo. ConnEcnoN.— lt was Wing Lee, of Walter , Street, wbo gave tho £1 and vegetables to t tho Wairau Hospital, ond not Wapg Lee, who is a resident of Grovetown. Homtccltubal Society. — A Committeo meeting of the above will be held at Draper's Hotel on Taesday, the 12th inst., ot 8 p.m. Business : To fix date of autumn show, etc. Shipping.— The Lurlino got away from tho Picton wharf this morning, and the Langstone will finish loading to night, both getting away for London on the same day if possible. Returned.— A private wiro received m town to-day states that Mr C. G. Beckett wilt return by tho Rotorua this evening to Picton, and will reach town by tho coach to-night. MoaTd-usßEs' Sale.— On Saturday Mr T. Horton offered for sale sundry properties lately belonging to Mr J. O'Sullivan, but the bidding was spiritless, and all wero bought m by the mortgagees. The Locx-ur.— After al), tho suggestion which first appeared m the Express as to the best method ot placing the cells behind the new lock-up, has been adopted. They laugh best who laugh Inst. Hmu Priced Colts.— Last year Mr Gollan gave 2025 guineas for, the Nordenfeldt—Fraihy colt, and last Monday Mr Richardg, of Melbourne, gave 2200 guineas for his -full brother. This is tho biggest price over given m Now Zealand for a yearling. Convent Abt Union.— A correspondent writes from Nelson :— Could you inform me whether the Art Union m Aid of Blenheim Convent Schools has been drawo yet, as I have a ticket, number 2,101. [We understand that it bas not yet been drawn, as the tickets are not yet all sold.— Ed. M.E.] Railway Returns.— For the four- weekly period ending December 6tb, 1891, the receipts on the Picton section of the railway camo to £436* 1s 3d, as against £372 10s 5d for the same period m 1890. This brings ' the percentage of expenditure -to revenue. ' down to 86-48, as against the 100-22 it cost 1 last year to run the line. U.A.O. Druids.— A meeting of persons interested m forming a lodge of the above benefit society will be held at the Masonic '. Hotel Havelook, on Thursday evening noxt. We understand there is overy probability of a strong lodge being formed m Havolock, a considerable number of persons having expressed a desire to become members. Personal. -We regret exceedingly to learn that Mrs Charles Redwood is m a sinking condition from blood poisoning, and i that the only hope of rescuing her is by means of an operation, which we understand : is to bo peformed to-day. That it may prove successful is certainly the hope of all who know the Redwood family, and appreciate the many good qualities of the lady m question. Service at the Rotonda.— The clanging of a firebell has a startling effect On a congregation, and at times we have known churches to be emptied without any regard to the particular portion of the service that ! was going on. Last night there w_s quite a ; crowd listening to tbe excellent singing that [ is provided by those who hold open air , meetings m the Square, but one ring of the . firebell left them almost without a congre- , gation. While on tha subject of these serl vices may wo suggest more singing and . shorter sermons. 1 Cricket.— On Saturday a scratch match ! was played between teams captained by ! Douslin and Sharp, the first- mentioned i winning by 39 to 23, the small scores being partly attributable to the fact that there were only six players aside. We have to report with regret that the efforts of the cricket enthusiasts to improve their ground : have been impeded by some mischief-mak-ing individual, or there may be more than one concerned m the matter. When Mr 1 Webb went to water the ground on Friday night, he found that the hose had beon cut, and the force pump rendered useless, by the removal of the cap. It will be a matter of difficulty for tbo police to traoe tha offending persons, but it is to be hoped that such wilful destruction of property may meet with its proper punishment. Mahakipawa-Picton Racing Club.— At a meeting of this Club on Friday night, Mr T. J. Kerr in the chair, it was unanimously resolved to hold the fourth annual race meeting on Thursday February 25th, on the property of Messrs T. and S. Cawte, Mahakipawa. The Club give about £120 m stakes, the principal event being the Maha-kipawa-Picton Cup of 30 sovd., the next m 1 value being the Handicap Hurdles of 25 i soys. In most of.the races the distances i have been reduced, the longest being the . Cup, which is a mile and a half. Nominat ions for the principal events close on 1 February Oth, at 8 p.m. The official proi gramme will be published m a later issue. Owing to a large increase of members the Club is financially much stronger than it was, and a successful meeting is anticipated^ =■ Annual Picnic.— The usual picnic given to the scholars of the Church of the 1 Nativity Sunday School takes place on i Wedndsday next. Tho teachers and scholars are to assemble at the Sunday '. Sohool at 8.30 a.m., where tbe tiokets will , ' be issued them, and they will march to the station to go by speoial train leaving at 9.15. They will be joined at Spring Creek by the scholars from that school and < Marshlands, and there the ordinary train from Picton will pass the special and then proceed to Tua Marina to Mr Boyes 1 grounds, i where the picnic is to be held. Those i desirous of going should procure their ; tickets beforehand, so as to avoid any crushing at the railway station. { Fire m Alfred. street.— Shortly before nine o'clock last night the firebell rang, and ' a crowd quickly congregating round the fire- . . bell, theuce found their way to Smith's i boarding house, where, however, all danger had been overcome, almost before the bell rang. On going inside we found that the fire had originated m the parlor, and was cansed by a girl named Young, who went m with a match to get writing material. From what we could gather from Mrs Smith, who only returned to tho house on hearing the firebell, there was some toi-toi on the bracket on which the pens and paper wero kept, and she is of opinion that the match caught this. Fortunately there were two boarders and Mr Smith m the house at the time, and they, nfter a sharp and short struggle : managed to get the flames under, but not before paper on walls and ceiling had been nearly all destroyed. It is fortunate also for the boarders that the fire took place earlyin the evening, when they were about : to render assistance. The house belongs to Mr G. Henderson. New Zealand Police Force. — The strength of the New Zealand Police Force is 500 men— of these 190 are Irishmen, 84 are English, 59 Scotch, and 11 are Welsh. New South Wales also contributes 31 ; , Queensland, 15; South Australia, 7; : Western Australia, 4; Victoria, 5; and Tasmania, 9 ; whilst 5 hail from Germany ; 2 from France ; and 52 are New Zealanders.