N.Z. INDUSTRIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 229, 27 September 1935, Page 8

N.Z. INDUSTRIES.

AN "ENABLING BILL."

LEGISLATION DESIRED. MANUFACTURERS' PROPOSAL. A summarised restatement of a request for legislation made to the j Government in March last by the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation, which deals with all aspccts of the present and potential development of manufacturing industries in the Dominion, has been issued by the Now . Zealand Manufacturers' Federation. The i federation has drafted what is purely jan "Enabling Bill" in its desire that legislation should bo introduced this session, and before putting forth its proposals lias spent 18 months thoroughly examining and preparing the I echo in e. | The federation desires that there should bo set up a small permanent Manufacturing Industries Commission to watch over manufacturing industries, and to make recommendations whore necessary; to provide facilities for the working out of co-ordination agreements with a view to eliminating uneconomic conditions, and to promoting the efficiency of such industries; ali«o to consider any scheme as may be agreed upon by not less than two-thirds of the industry concerned; and, if satisfied that the agreement is not contrary to the public] interest, to approve such agreement officially, whereupon it would become legally binding upon all units of the industry. It is regarded as vital to the spirit of the policy that there shall be no suggestion of anything in the nature of political or Departmental dictation or control. The scheme provides for reasonable standards to be observed by the industry in order to prevent firms from bringing discredit on New Zealand goods generally by producing poods of poor quality to the detriment of the industry as a whole. Each co-ordination agreement would stipulate that every unit must pay standard wages and provide standard ci mlitions for its workers. I