FUTURE OF N.Z.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 169, 19 July 1935, Page 15

FUTURE OF N.Z.

NOT ONLY FARMING. BALANCED DEVELOPMENT. MR. J. A. C. AXI-TIM'S VIEWS. "New Zealand will never Tie a large farm or another county of England, as an eminent gentleman suggested some time ago, but New Zealand will, by developing all phases of human activity, become a nation," said Mr. J. A. C. Allum, speaking to members of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce at a luncheon meeting held in Messrs. Milno and Choyce's reception hall. Mr. Allum was speaking on the development and future of secondary industries, and the consensus of his remarks was that they were natural in the growth of a country. "From the day the first settler landed in New Zealand a certain amount of manufacturing took place, as local raw materials would be used to make needed goods as far as was practicable," Mr. Allum said. "This policy gradually developed until manufacturing was placed on a commercial basis. In the course of time it was natural that 10-al manufacturers should feel the competition of the overseas manufacturers with their larger establishments and lower wage costs. The manufacturers asked for protection to enable them to compete fairly with the"r overseas rivals. In doing this they anticipated the British manufacturers by some 50 years. The whole of the population of the Dominion cannot be engaged in the primary industries, because many are not fitted by temperament, inclination or training, and in any case they are not required.

" ' Uneconomic industries ' are sometimes referred to, and it is hard at times to know what ts meant. The Swiss are the most famous watchmakers in the world, yet all their raw materials are imported. It can be- said that any industry using local raw materials or involving a high degree of skilled labour is economic. New Zealand woollen mills and the various factories making machinery and instruments of precision are both economic. "During the year 1933-34 registered, factories in New Zealand spent in the aggregate £211,000 on insurance, £486,000 on coal, and £536,000 on electric power. In the same year New Zealand manufacturing industries used raw materials approximating in value £14,050,000. Of this amount £6,250,000 came from the United Kingdom, £2,500,000 came from other Empire sources, £1,500.000 were foreign, and £4,400,000 were of New Zealand origin. It will be seen from this that 30 per cent of all the material used was produced in the Dominion, whereas of the materials used by English manufacturing industries 22 , per cent is produced in Great Britain."