The sun., 1919-08-27
AUSTRALIA REPELS
OVERSEE BUSINESS
American, Just Returned,
Points to Barriers Against
Manufacturers Here.
AIDS INFANT INDUSTRIES
High Tariff and Preferential
Rates for Great Britain the
Weapons Used.

!
Australia fortnight ago. The enclosed
clipping from the Sydney Evening Ne,cs
of June 80, 1919. / think may be of
some interest to your readers, especially
the American manufacturers, who, in
| my opinion, with many lines, are on a
wild goose chase In spending money in
trying to get business in that part Of the
world with these three things against
them:
l. Highly protective tariff.
2. Preferential tariff with Great Brit
ain.
8. over 10 per oent. having to be
added TO the cost and ocean
freight owing to the present sterling rate
or exchange. CHARLES NJ. TERRY.
New York, Aug. 81, 1919.
The Commonwealth Bureau of Com
merce and Industry has issued a long
list of Industries which have either been
called into being by the effect of war on
our Imports or have been greatly stimu-
lated by the same agency. In his speech
at the opening OF the present session of
the Federal Parliament Mr.. Watt an
nounced that the Government intended
to play foster mother to these industrial
war babies by means of a tariff designed
| to mitigate the fierce competition of
overseas countries. There are nearly
800 Items on the list, ranging through a
bewildering variety from dolls to road
rollers.
The list is issued with the warning
that 1t is not complete, and that may
explain why OF all the states Queensland
alone does not appear to have developed
any industry. New South Wales and
Victoria naturally show the greatest in
| crease, but South Australia, 1.-THE West
| and Tasmania have also preached in
deeds the doctrine of self-help. AS the
! chief centres of population, the names of
Sydney and Melbourne loom large. but
the apostles Of decentralization will find
| comfort in seeing the names of Lithgow,
Newcastle IN. s. W.. Ballarat Geelong
(N.), Port kembia Is. Al and Narrogin
CIV. Al appearing here and there.
A perusal Of the items listed causes
! surprise. That young country must de-
pend TO large extent on older commune
ties for certain articles of manufacture
| mas long been accepted as an axiom of
political economy, but one hardly expects
| to ind school desks included under this
\ head. And yet only eleven years ago a
school that desired something better than
the ordinary bench and table type was
compelled to import from America. To
see boot heels on the list Of Imports is
|
knows his country exports large quanti-
ties of both hides and leather. Bag and
trunk fittings. rabbit traps. wire gates
| roohng tues--it seems a tragedy that II
| required a war to stimulate the manufac-
ture of these simple ana common articles
| OF everyday use. The horse drawn road
| roller looks simple enough to make and
yet the Big. clumsy things have taken up
valuable space in the holds OF ships from
the old world.
What sydney Has Done.
First and foremost among the accom-
plishments OF Sydney stands shipbuilding.
The works at Cockatoo are now In the
hands OF the Federal Government but
the State showed its pride in the works
on the various occasions when ships were
! launched from the yards Concerning
the workmanship we recently had high
| praise from one OF the British naval
\ architects. The destroyer Huen, after h
severe buffeting in the Bay of Biscay,
reached port only to be sent out to tn,
aid of a sister ship. When she was
locked 1t was found that she had been
terribly tested. and the authority men,
| TONED said that only the splendid work
mansnip of her builders enabled the
ship to pull through.
In Sydney, too, are made almost all the
accessories to motor. Even the lmpor-
| tant carburetor has been successfully
| constructed, while wind screens bonnets
mud guards and the like are matters OF
| everyday routine When we come to the
chemical section a long list of manufac.
lures is credited to Sydney, the names OF
other places occurring not more than half
a dozen times. Wire netting. too. which
| was unobtainable overseas-it was used
1 tn To- ha md 20 Aa
motor transport-has been manufactured
in Sydney. Paper. product that threat.
ened TO become as rare as the dodo has
been largely made here. while the output
of various brands of hbro-cement sheets
and plates increased enormously.
Growth in Steel and Iron.
The wonderful growth Of the Iron ant
steel works at Newcastle had begun be
fore the war. but II needed a cessation
of overseas supplies to impress upoI
the authorities the efficiency OF the HON,
made article. Rails, fshplates and fsh
bolts that were formerly imported
largely. too, from Germany-have beer
made here. tested in actual work and
found most satisfactory. Even thos,
important adjuncts of locomotives, tn,
tires. are being made here, and Their,
has been no dissatisfaction with tn,
| Australian article. All types of build
ing material have been made too Gird
ers for large buildings. angle irons, bolt!
and even the high grade tools necessary
have been manufactured.
| AS an adjunct OF the steel industry
shipbuilding received a FLIP. At Walsh
Island and at Williamstown, Vic, bis
steel ships have been launched, and witt
the shipyards of the old world WORKING
at high pressure to make up the leewaN
in the worlds shipping the future o.
these two places seems TO be bright
In the machinery section the advances
has been remarkable. For many year.
Australian farming machinery has NOR,
than held its own against the imported
article, which was In one or two case
made by people who had pirated Aus
| tralian patents. With spare parts O
some of the imported machines unobtain
able the local manufacturers have haS
to divert some OF their energies 10 sup
ply this lack.
During the war we heard much o
the Diesel oil engine. (The invento
disappeared mysterfously from a ship II
the North Sea at the beginning of IN,
war; Several Australian firms are nov
manufacturing semi-Diesel crude oil en-
gines which have given general salts
faction.
Articles OF Enemy Manufacture.
One of the most gratifying feature
OF the issued list Is the appearance o
various goods formerly manufactured b,
the enemy. Hosiery OF a kind only mad
in Germany was very popular In Aus
| traua ThrAe MAlhOIrna Nrns ara pox