INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATION.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15768, 8 December 1916, Page 2

INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATION.

—4 WASTE IN NEW ZEALAND, MR G. T. BOOTH'S PROPOSAL. Speaking at yesterday's meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, Jlr G. T. Booth said Germany was organising all her resources. Great Britain was contemplating a similar step; the pity was that Great Britain had not taken this step long ago. What was. New Zealand going to do ? New Zealand had sent a large number of men to tho front. That was commendable, butit was simply our duty. This country had subscribed a -large sum of money for benevolent purposes. That was commendable, too, but something more was required to be done. The cost of the war to N'ew Zealand had been £12,000,000. It was costing us now £1,000»000 a month. Despite our prosperity, due to war prices for our produce, there would be a big hole made in our wealth. Steps should have been taken before to get the machinery in readiness to fill lip the gap in our resources. We must cut out all needless and extravagant expenditure. He was not thinking of waste on luxuries which was undoubtedly going on. but the amount of unseen waste being made by poor people as well as others, owing to the lack of organisation. If the whole industrial organisation of the country were placed in the hands of proper organisers, the money so sav&d would almost suffice to pay the war expenses. There was a waste in time, money, effort, everything. He moved : — "That this Chamber represent to the Government the urgent necessity of devising machinery for. mobilising the industrial and human resources of the Dominion both during and succeeding the war, with a view to realising the utmost possible economy and in all departments of national activity." 16 The motion was carried unanimously without discussion.