1.—16

64

Value of Total Imports in Agricultural Machinery, Haedware, Bails, Railway-bolts, Iron and Steel, Pio Iron, Wire and Machinery, Nails, Railway Plant, etc. £ 1903 ... 2,361,628 1904 ... 2,657,448 1905 ... 2,361,042 1906 ... 2,923,632 1907 ... 3,159,394 Total for five years, ,£13,466,144. Average, £2,693,229 per annum. Total maximum subsidy for forty years ... ... ... £1,300,000 Total saving as per statement for forty years ... .. •■• £5,000,000 The cost of Parapara pig iron being £2 10s. per ton, the ironfounders could make here half of what is now imported. This would mean the employment of 10,000 mechanics in our factories. These represent 40,000 souls. At Customs value this means to New Zealand £124,833; at trade value,. £1,488,333 per annum. On the same basis the Government save on their yearly purchase £50,000, besides receiving £7,500 per annum on royalties on 100,000 tons iron and steel—£s7,soo; manufacturers would save about £100,000: total, £157,500. Maximum subsidy, £32,500. Balance in favour of the Dominion, £125,000.

Public Works Contract, 1912-1915 Per Ton. £ s. d. Iron bars, N.C. ... ... ... •■■ -•■ U 0 0 N.C.B -.. 11 10 0 N.Z. ... ' 11 0 0 Iron sheets, 11/20 G. ... ... ... 13 10 0 22/26 G. ... ... ... ... ••• 14 0 0 Iron plates ... ... ... ■■■ ■■■ ... 13 10 0 Iron angles and tees, N.C.B. ... ... ... ... 13 10 0 Iron angles, ii. H. Crown, &c. ■■■ ••■ 13 0 0 Iron hoop ... ... ... ••• ... 10 18 0 ~ galvanized ... ... ••• ■■• ... 17 0 0 Steel plates ... ... ... •■• ■•• ... 13 0 0 „ sheets ... i ... • ■ •■■ ■■■ 13 0 0

Cost of Production of Steel Castings, etc, The following estimates of cost of production are taken from the reports of the following: T. Scott Anderson, A.M.1.C.E., M.1.E.E., Sheffield, England; Dr. J. M. Bell, New Zealand; Professor Park, and H. F. Chamberlain. On ah output of 240,000 tons rails, pig iron, bar iron, sheets, wire, steel, steel castings, pipes, &o. : — „ ■ 1 l ' Per Ton. £ s. d. Steel castings . ... ... ■■■ ••• •■• ... 13 0 0 Tool and drill steel ... ... ■■■ •■■ ■■■ ... 14 0 0 (19 3 Pig iron ... ... ••• ••• ■•• ••• •■■ 1 to [2 2 0 Fencing-wire ... • ■ • ■ • • ■ • • • • ■ ■ ■ ■ 6 0 0 Railway material ... ... ••• ■■■ ■■■ 10 0 0 Galvanized corrugated sheets ... ... --• ... 10 o 0 Steel sheets and plates ... ... ■•■ 700 Bolt, bar, and rod iron ... -. ... •■• 6 0 0 Steel billets ... ... ... ■•• ■■• 6 0 0 Cast-iron pipes and fittings, &c. ... .. ... 410 0 Special wire .. ••■ ■■■ ... 710 0 Malleable castings ... ... ■■■ ... 5 0 0 Iron and steel, various ... ... ... 7 0 0 Rails ... ... ■■. .... •■• ••■ 5 0 0 Galvanized sheets not corrugated, and corrugated sheets not galvanized ... ... ■ ... ... ... ... •■■ 900