Mr Shand On Plans To Increase Output

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30286, 12 November 1963, Page 14

Mr Shand On Plans To Increase Output

(From Our Own Reporter)

SEDDON, Nov. 11. Sharp contrasts between the two ways of shaping an election policy were drawn by the Minister of Labour (Mr Shand) in an address at Seddon tonight. “The first and, I think, the more proper way, is to consider carefully the existing economic circumstances and the existing requirements, and from these to work out the changes needed to produce a desirable result over the next three years,” Mr Shand said. "The second is to calculate what promises may cajole the electors into voting for the promising party, at the same time hoping that something will turn up to enable that party to achieve something of its claims and aims.” Mr Shand said that the only way to achieve progress was to calculate the steps which could be taken to increase the production of goods and services so that more goods might be available for the community to share. Any other way would damage the capacity of the country to produce at all, either by making inadequate provision for development or by taking from one section of the community to give to another Small Number of Rich “One fact which stands out clearly in New Zealand, and which even the members of other parties must acknowledge, is that the number of rich people in this country is so small that the policy of taking from the rich to give to the poor can no longer be put forward seriously.” Mr Shand said. “To increase production is the only way by which we can raise the standards of our people.” Mr Shand said that three ways were open to increase production. They were:— (1) To improve the tools the people worked with. (2) To stop doing the jobs New Zealanders did less efficiently than the people of other countries and transfer

the people so employed to jobs New Zealanders did more efficiently. (3) To improve methods of working generally. He believed that the export incentives already put forward by the National Government had started the process of expansion. The improvement of tools meant devoting a greater effort to farming and industrial development; thus assisting industries to buy more equipment. The first step in this programme has been to inspire the farming and business communities with the confidence necessary to accept the necessary risk —“that is to use their own funds or to borrow to expand their activities.” Tariff Board Much of the incentive for development would come from the newly-established Tariff and Development Board, which would give the necessary support to industries which could in reasonable time become economic, while at the same time bringing steady pressure to bear on high-cost industries to become more efficient in competition with a regulated flow of imports. “There are three prongs to this fork, and the third is the most important,” Mr Shand said. "Labour and management must be encouraged, cajoled and, in the last resort, coerced into cooperating in an effort to achieve greater industrial efficiency.” On the Labour method of achieving these aims, Mr Shand said a public relations consultant was employed to dream up a lot of promises to catch the imagination. “The only limit placed on his ingenuity is the limit placed on the credulity of the public,” he said. "After all, you don’t have tc fool all the people all the time. It is sufficient to fool a majority of the people for a few weeks.”