New Thinking About N.Z. Exports Advocated

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30146, 1 June 1963, Page 14

New Thinking About N.Z. Exports Advocated

The social climate nt thinking in New Zealand, from government level, t businessmen and to schoolchildren, must alter if New Zealand is to have a really thriving and expanding export trade, says the Secretary of Industries and Commerce I (Dr. W. B. Sutch) in a background paper for the Export Development Conference to be held next week. At present, every child ! born has a New Zealand heri- | '.age of attitudes and institutions aimed at promoting the ! welfare of the grasslands .ndustry. It is so pervasive 1 that it is often taken for granted. Dr. Sutch says. "Our aim should be to < make it right and natural to ■ think to provide similarly for I the development of our other' physical and human assets J A really thriving and ex-! ! panding export trade cannot! exist on financial incentives! ! alone "There are, of course, good historical and economic reasons why we have not concentrated on resources other than grass We should still concentrate on grass and its products, but we must conscientiously spare some of our thoughts, time, money and energy on developing our other assets "And these assets, whether! they are animal, vegetable or mineral, will turn into export products, not by neglecting them, but by putting them at the centre of our legislating, our administration and ouri i institutions' and customary! i practices.” he says. Future Economy In the next decade or two New Zealand should change ! rapidly to a more mature and I balanced economy, Dr. Sutch ■ says. The population would I approach four million. New Zealand would have, it was hoped, a flourishing iron and steel industry which would I itself have made possible

I other subsidiary and allied I industries. New Zealand would be jmuch further developed in ‘ mechanical and heavy enginj eering. It would be making, :as it had already started to i do. light capital goods for “export. It would have much i more developed food, chemi- : cal and textile industries; its { farm products would be more ; diversified with a greatly- ; increased content supplied by I New Zealand manufacturers jand workers ■ “New Zealand will be exporting to many more mar- ‘ kets, and the exports will be I more diversified and have a : significant percentage of i manufactured goods of high 1 and special quality. “The materials incorpori ated in them will be both I indigenous and imported, but !the main element of them will: ibe the skill of New Zealand-' ' ers working in strong manuI facturing industries. Some of i [the exports will be the product of cheap New Zealand : power. i “A substantial proportion iof the diversified exports will be originally based on the climate and soil of New Zealand. New Zealand's livestock production will have expanded considerably, as will also the products of horticulture and agriculture generally. The fishing industry should also be a substantial contributor to exports,” Dr. Sutch says. Social Work Officers The following officers were I elected at the annual meeting I of the Canterbury Association | of Social Workers:— Patron, the Mayor (Mr G. Manning); president, Mr D Barrett; vice-president, Brigadier F. W. Hay; treasurer, Mr I. E. Jackson; secretary, Miss A. R. Craven; training officer, Mr J. Morrison; executive. Misses J. Burrell, A. Thompson. Messrs J. McDonald, J Ryley.