SECONDARY INDUSTRIES AND UNEMPLOYMENT.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20381, 30 October 1931, Page 13

SECONDARY INDUSTRIES AND UNEMPLOYMENT.

I TO THE XDITOR OF THE PRMS. Sir,—ln spite of a well-founded objection on principle to all artificial V"-'. 'stimulants to .or interferences with trade, I cannot disabuse myself of the belief that the. extraordinary circumstances of „the times with regard to unemployment justify expedients and measures which in ordinary times could ' be repudiated off-han,d. ■ The fact that all employed members of the community, whether financial or not, are now compelled by statute to contribute /to a fund which shall amount to/£2,500,000 per annum for the relief pf unemployment, is a thing which a year or two ago would have been regarded* aa-unbelievable! Given this huge sum to Seal with, the question t', *is how can the Minister for' Labour most wisely dispense it. X have nothing ■ to say against the/various proposals contained in the Minister's statement, but he appears to have skated very ' lightly over the assistance to local industries other than those connected i the land. :I cannot help suspectin this'he has been influenced of the.. Minister for • maintain his Customs bo balance,his Budget, to lhfr-«sffin of the other, equally im- ' pprjw,Of not important, matter our trade. ■ IWemphaßjs Mr Stewart has placed upon/the Importance of balancing the Budget.'ttnd so maintaining our credit me'fear that he has an eye to on the London make good a possible der.S/fodftha 1 between our exports „ and visible'.and invisible imports plus service of our dobts. There are )three jwpys of doitig this:— the value or vl * vojume of exports. i c 'By further borrowings abroad. imp'orts. ' the fatter could 'Dart without prejudicing bv treating foreigners w in the matter of ac- ; but, perhaps of all is by increasing our. own borders of - "i many needs. - . .*• Rfeceflt English papers contain frei by leading men on : curtailing imports to f,? €ear ®4* favourable trade balance. It f ,ijff,equally important here. To come to - the point, I contend that a substantial the' unemployment fund * ' üßefylly employed" as ' ' industries ' such as flax, would increase exports, or upon T™e production of commodities in ; uie, so supplying our own decreasing our dependence on ,A sum of £500,000 so spent -represent ! 5 per cent, on Industries which unaided > V&Slj*-wily return 2 per cent, on* this coiild, with, assistance from the -YUM*** fund, pay 7 per cent. & ®igit be made that no sub- ' 3 paid which would enable f more than 7 per cent. . It is hard to guess, how might be provided" by capital invested in new t one can efesily conceive to £200,000 pec annum, ralid objection. I can see >al is that in doing it we te industries which could their own feet, and ,tbat commitment would be inonce started could not be _this I would reply that fth of the unemployment v employed, and in a few nd ourselves in the posi- ; able to discontinue all ; tax, except portion support of the industries light • deem ourselves ford. The general benefit accrue from the expendi--00,000 or £2,000,000 of il in s! pew Industries under jf subsidies is almost imitimate. Surely the mating* of serious considera•h, 1931. ARTON SEAT. EDITOR or THE * PRESS. , 3 now have a Coalition i power who have entered ent to fight Labour, iß find would-be politicians pset the agreement. All een hoping for Coalition e, and now that it has as honourable njfcn, we the spirit of the agrecjver we may think of in- ' duty. plain :to fiftht pcialism to the end. That itely an enemy of. &ano overnmeut who- seeks to ty strife into the fight at lid appeal to Mr McLach?se by it in the end. ; Jf »ig heart and generously ? tune, he will retain the

respect and • esteem of electors all ovwr Canterbury.—Yours, etc.,^ October 29th, 1931. ; 1 ' TO THE EDITOR OF THE - Sir,—From Mr McLachlan's utterances and from the letters from his supporters or committeemen in this morning's Press, it would look as if this electorate, being safe against Labour, is going to Ve the scene of an exhibition of selfish and personal ambition, which >is exceedingly out of ," patriotic in these times. Practically throughout Britain petty personal ambition has been put behind national necessity. Specious arguments of a call from the electorate will hav ® effect on the common-sense voter, However much they may candidates themselves and their enthusiastic committees. . An unofficial anti-Socialist candidate standing against the official Coalition candidate has, not. a chance of election, as the voters realise that the position here is much the same as in Englan (except, of course, that the local Labour Party is painfully weak, and has no men approaching the calibre of M Donald and Snowden). And e . me " fact of standing will suggest that self has been put before country. If Mr McLachlan is determined to let the country go hang and give it a g°° go, no one can stop him, but he will j miss the chance of a patriotic and graceful retirement. In any case, the electors will 'be running no risks, and will vote for the candidate with the backing ofi Messrs Forbes and Coatcs. As to your correspondents' letters about Mr iKitson, he is not standing as.a Reformer, but as.an Independent, and_ your correspondent, "W.D.'s" veiled suggestion that tho Reform Committee are putting him up against Mr Kyle is typical of the tactics • adopted by his , Party at the last election. Those tac- I tics are so much worse form and out of f place at this juncture. Your i pondent's suggestion that Mr Kitson should stand aside for Mr McLfcchlan is very naive, as the same type of felector would; vote for either of them, and if both stood "W.D.'s" chief would possibly forfeit; his deposit. J! As to the outburst of "Fairplay," it is as accurate as it is grammatical, and as fair and unbiased as it is patriotic. .-not -interested "in voters who

"seethe with dismay and disgust" at imaginary projects which have never been contemplated, and in any case could not possibly be contemplated or carried out as the law stands.—Yours, etc., NEW ZEALAND FIRST. October 29* th, 1931.