MANUFACTURERS' PROPOSAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 230, 28 September 1935, Page 8

MANUFACTURERS' PROPOSAL.

The proposal of the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation, that there should bo established a permanent manufacturing , industries commission, is interesting first as evidence of a healthy spirit in the industry as a whole. It is a proposal made not by some external investigating body, but by industry itself, by leaders who are not only competent to speak of the Dominion's needs, but are aware of the lessons to be learned from the history of the development of secondary industries abroad. The Federation desires, in short, a legislative measure which will enable, it "to facilitate co-ordination based on selfgovernment, not on bureaucratic control." Naturally, the proposed functions and powers of the commission require discussion in detail, and particularly the suggestion—which the manufacturers may regard as vital to the scheme —that if two-thirds of an industry agree upon a measure of co-ordination it shall be legally binding upon all. Upon what basis will the "two-thirds" be determined —upon capital invested, upon production value, upon the number of employees, or upon the number of units? It would seem that a few large units in an industry could fix the conditions and influence the success or failure of all the smaller ones, some of which might be fully efficient. This apparent difficulty shquld be capable of adjustment. Meanwhile the general proposals are to be welcomed. They should be freely discussed, and they merit the early attentiop of the new Parliament next year.