EXPANSION OF INDUSTRIES

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24866, 4 May 1946, Page 6

EXPANSION OF INDUSTRIES

JUVENILE LABOUR SHORTAGE “POPULATION MUST BE INCREASED ” (P.A.) WELLINGTON, May 3. “The strategic need to increase the population substantially for the sake of our own nation brings a necessity to provide fuller employment than can be provided merely by our primary industries,” said a report by the Department of Industries and Commerce, Submitted by Mr V. Marshall to the Parliamentary Committee on Population. Increased population must be achieved quickly, and the rate of increase maintained if New Zealand was to take its rightful place among the nations and accept the obligations which it shared in the Pacific, said the report. Figures of the growing industrial population and the keen Interest in industry clearly indicated what could be expected. The department had continuously under consideration a number of proposals to establish industries and expand existing ones. There was evidence of Increasing interest by British concerns with official encouragement to disperse big factories to other parts of the Commonwealth. The war had demonstrated that a greater measure of self-sufficiency in time of war was desirable, and it was necessary that these industries should operate in time of peace for reasons of efficiency. Other United Kingdom interests were contemplating establishing branches in New Zealand because of the facilities available, the high intelligence of New Zealand workers, and favourable power conditions In the future.

A major avenue of increased employment seemed to be in industrial expansion. Statistics showed that a scarcity of juvenile entrants into industry would continue even on the present factory capacity to 1954. The extent to which the female population was in industry had a definite bearing on the natural increase of the population. Encouragement should therefore be concentrated on industries employing male labour. “It appears 'that, to maintain a successful programme of industrial expansion, some further means of increasing the population rapidly is required, Mr Marshall continued, after mentioning that in the next 10 years juvenile employees fqr industrial expansion would not’ be obtained adequately from the natural Increase of the population. Expansion of secondary Industries was logical and nature!, because unemployment was a more serious risk in a simple economic environment than in a country of widely diversified Industry. The trend of and opportunities for expansion of industry was such that it appeared to be limited only by the population that could be provided. Mr Marshall, replying to a question, said he understood that Australian policy was to bring in young children, preferably orphans, and let them work eventually into industry and commerce.