GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22344, 7 March 1938, Page 8

GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY

“Dominion Should Be Self-Supporting” MR MORGAN WILLIAMS’S VIEWS Stating that the Government was determined to make New Zea^f*^ s dimnortin 0 ' Mr C. Morgan Williams. M.P., told members of the K^° g 1 Woollen Mills Union and their at a recent meeting that the time might shortly come when the Don \ in would have to be s elf - s “P „ cause it would be cut off from overseas markets. , . The Government was not anxious step in where private enterprise gave reasonable efficiency and reasonable conditions to employees, but if were not provided, the Govern ™ , would certainly do so, said Mr Hams. When the Government gave industry a fair deal, it expected a fair 1 deal in return. Those catering for the people of New Zealand were particularly on the goodwill of the New Zeal public, and Mr Williams thought that, when managements had time to consider calmly, they would realise that they were dependent on the goodwill of the public and of the Government. Mr Williams said that one cause of the present position was that, m tne first years after the election of the Labour Parly to power warehouses and retailers had stocked up in anticipation of an increase in costs ana because New Zealand mills er ?„ pn busy heavy importations had hj made. The result was a glut on the market at present. , The president of the millwoikers union (Mr W. B. McPartlin), who presided, said that the meeting had been called to receive a report on the action taken following the recent dismissals of workers from the mill. He said that, as the question was a vital one afxecting the town, the business people had held a meeting. Mr E. C. Harper (secretary of the union), who went to Wellington to suggest that the Government should help the industry by imposing tariffs or in some other way. said the Minister for Labour (the Hon. H. 1. Armstrong) had been very concerned about the dismissal of married men. The new award would come up for consideration before the Arbitration Court m three weeks’ time. Mr Williams told the meeting that the Minister had sent an officer of the Labour Department to investigate the dismissals, and had promised that he himself worm make a visit to Kaiapoi if possible. Thanking the business people of Kaiapoi for the manner in which they had supported the union, the secretary said the union was particularly grateful to the Mayor (the Rev. W. H. A. Vickery), at whose suggestion the business people had met. Mr Williams was thanked for his address.