Rail Link For Nelson ‘Certain At Some Stage’

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30095, 1 April 1963, Page 16

Rail Link For Nelson ‘Certain At Some Stage’

(New ZmimU Fr«*» Anociauon) NELSON, March 31. A railway connexion for Nelson at some stage was a certainty, the Leader of the Labour Party (Mr Nordmeyer) predicted in Nelson on Saturday night. Mr Nordmeyer, speaking at the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Nelson Trades Council, said there was a far more important consideration than making a railway pay—the benefit to the nation in the development of an area recouped any shortterm loss. On the vacant cotton mill building, Mr Nordmeyer said it should not be impossible to adapt it to suit a number of smaller concerns, even if it was too large for one particular industry.

He discussed the need for more industry to combat the ever-increasing birthrate and said New Zealand’s birthrate was far in excess of many other countries. Industry did not expand by itself. “A climate must be created and we were doing that. But it was destroyed by the action and stupidity of the Government over the cotton mill episode,” he said. •It is vital that the Government takes active and positive steps to ensure there is full employment That requires planning.” he said. •‘What happens in a country when the tempo of development has declined? I feel that unless we have a change

of government we will drift into the position we once had of there being too many people for too few jobs.” Mr Nordmeyer said. Congratulating the council on its 25 years of service, he said it was not many years agj when trade unionists were regarded as outcasts and even worse. “I remember seeing men digging a water race when I was a youngster. The foreman walked continually up and down and the man who straightened his back was down the road. We don't want those conditions again." he said. . , Mr Nordmeyer said that even today there were unionists who believed that only

industrial action was sufficient. Parallel and complementary to industrial action there must be political action, he said. "If you play your part, we will play ours,” Mr Nordmeyer added