PUBLICATION WELCOMED

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29739, 5 February 1962, Page 14

PUBLICATION WELCOMED

“Will Alleviate Unease”

The Canterbury Chamber of Commerce had already expressed its approval of the abandonment of the cotton mill project in the light of the full information on the agreement made public by the Government, said Mr P. M. Mac Shane, president of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, last evening. Mr Mac Shane had been asked to comment on the publication of other agreements setting up new industries. He said that when the cotton mill was under discussion, the chamber asked also that particulars of any more such agreements entered into by the present or the previous Government should be made public. “I welcome the reported proposal, if such it is, that details of agreements involving another nine new industries are to be released to the public early this week,” Mr Mac Shane said. “If that is the intention of the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr Marshall) he and the Government are to be warmly commended. Such release would do much to alleviate the feeling of unease which has been increasing daily amongst our business community since the cotton mill project first received publicity. “I hope the Government does take positive action along the lines indicated and that it will again take resolute action where circumstances warrant. Certainly the country needs good secondary industry, but only if it can deliver quality goods at competitive prices—after a reasonable amount of early encouragement.

“If this development of new industry is to be a continuing phase, I think we need wider representation of all New Zealand interests than recommendations of the Industries and Commerce Mr Mac Shane “*• Could we not have an indurtrial development council to investigate all factors befndu*n e e,? trOdUCtiOn ot new

*7’fl t be is one thing; but there are conand many other inbuV Of ,H thi * on the

™L knOWl '^ ge th * wi *« know m o»t IO sh^ h a 7r elve *”“ Wiiii ‘ m