Town And Country Urged To Co-operate

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30094, 30 March 1963, Page 10

Town And Country Urged To Co-operate

To blame industry for the tendency of labour to seek employment in the cities at the expense of the farmers was a negative attitude, said Mr J. R. Maddren, a member of the Trade Promotion Council, yesterday when commenting on the reported address by the Director of the Grasslands Division of the D.S.IJt. (Dr. P. D. Sears) to the Wellington branch of the Australian and New Zealand Economic Society. The tendency was not peculiar to New Zealand. It was world-wide and faced European countries and some industrially-developed Eastern countries, Mr Maddren said. Dr. Sears was correct in asking for an examination of why labour was leaving farms as clearly it was not only a question of monetary reward “Many people like to be one of a group and have companionship at their place of employment. This is one factor, and it would seem that to attract labour to work on farms the fanning community will possibly have to revise conditions of employment." Mr Maddren said. “At the same tune they will have to endeavour to provide similar amenities to those offered in tadustry. They would be thSB in a position to compefo. on an equal basit and to ’•ell* prospective employees on the

many undoubted advantages of employment on farms. “To blame another sector of the community is a negative approach. Only through positive action can the situation be remedied,” Mr Maddren said. He agreed with Dr. Sears that it was highly desirable fot New Zealand to concentrate on earning a greater amount of overseas exchange, but said that the economic position could be improved b» the development of exchange conservation or ex-change-saving industries. “The accent has moved from the importation of finished goods to the importation of raw materials, they provide the greatest volume of goods from our expenditure of overseas funds and at the same time providing employment opportunities for oui increasing population." he said. Most of the import licences, tc the tune of £250 million, were available for the importation of goods from any source, Mr Maddren said. It could be that some countries were not making sufficient effort to meet the requirements of the New Zealand importer, but were possibly finding it easier to complain about New Zeeland’s policy of import control rather than to take tiie added trouble to sell on New Zealand’s market under existing provisions. “Protection For Fanning” “We must not overlook the fact that the farming industry also receives a considerable measure of protection and that the same arguments directed by Dr. Sears towards

manufacturing industries can be directed towards wheat, butter and other farm products, which in some instances can be imported more cheaply—but such a step would not seriously be advanced by anyone in industry, 1 am sure,” Mr Maddren said. It was essential to continue industrial development alongside the development of agriculture to maintain an internal standard of living which would enable New Zealand to afford to import at a consistently high level. Clearly, a depressed internal economy would mean a great lessening in demand for overseas goods Thus the situation deplored by Dr. Sears would be accentuated in that overseas countries would be able to sell New Zealand even less than they were doing at present “No matter how buoyant our overseas exchange position may be. no-one is going to import goods into the country unless they can be sold,” Mr Maddren said, “Unless we have a buoyant interna] market that situation could exist, and in fact does exist in some areas of New Zealaaf today where there is little or no manufacturing industry.” Nevertheless, he agreed with Dr. Sears that agricultural production must increase and incentives for that production must be provided. “It would seem highly desirable for the future of New Zealand that farming and manufacturing should seriously get down to working together and discussing each other’s problems, as only by unified effort can we make the progress so essential to our future over-all development,” Mr Maddren said.