"NOT FINALISED"

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 146, 22 June 1945, Page 6

"NOT FINALISED"

MINISTER'S COMMENT

DOMINION INDUSTRIES

"The people who held the meeting in London apparently know' a great deal more about the business of the New Zealand Government than we do." said the Minister of Supply, Mr. Sullivan, when the cablegram reporting the London protest concerning tyre manufacture in New Zealand was referred to him.

"Government policy regarding the tyre industry has not been b .-ought to finalitv," the Minister said. "As far as industry in general is concerned, it will be developed. That is definite. Out of production in this country comes the people's living and their standard of living. The greater the production the greater the national income and the more there is to distribute among the people."

Expansion of industries was imperatively necessary if returning servicemen and servicewomen were to get the full opportunity that had been promised them of being able to earn a living in the land of their birth, the Minister continued. Full employment had also to be given to their relatives and the community generally. That was visualised in the great international charters to which the people of the British Commonwealth were pledged. That policy was indispensable also to the economic and financial health of New Zealand.

"Those opposing the expansion of New Zealand industries are opposing the policy of full employment and asking the country to commit economic and financial suicide," added the Minister.

It was utter nonsense to say—as some had said—that if New Zealand developed industries it would arouse antagonism in Great Britain. Canada, Australia and South Africa had developed, and were still developing their industries without such comment. The greater the local manufacturing production in New Zealand the greater the purchasing power of the country, and the more the Dominion could purchase from Britain in the form of machinery, capital goods, consumer goods and many other things that could not be produced in New Zealand. No country could produce everything it required.

"I repeat we will develop our industries," concluded the Minister. "At the same time we will do all we can to develop trade between the United Kingdom and New Zealand, taking from Britain the things that we want. I do not visualise that our policy of industrial expansion will interfere with our policy of maintaining and increasing our imports from the United Kingdom."

The Minister added that his Department had already revoked some 20 wartime controls and others would be revoked as quickly as the supply position would permit. Other steps necessary to the vigorous development of industry would follow.