MORE SMALL INDUSTRIES

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30287, 13 November 1963, Page 13

MORE SMALL INDUSTRIES

Marlborough’s “Urgent Need” (From Our Own Reporter) BLENHEIM, Nov. 12. A policy designed to make an area such as Marlborough self-supporting and able to provide employment for its younger citizens was outlined by Mr G. R. Kerr, the Social Credit candidate for Marlborough, at a meeting at Springlands tonight. “The two main parties have similar policies.” Mr Kerr said, “and these policies have failed to help the areas such as ours which are outside the mian cities.” His party planned to use the taxation rebate outlined in its policy to give the average citizen more spending power and so to create demand for industrial expansion, he said. The use of loan money at low rates of interest would give local bodies and private enterprise the chance to develop local and regional industries.

“In Marlborough we urgently require more small industries capable of using local products,” Mr Kerr said. “Picton is only one place where there is a seasonal lack of employment. Overcoming this must be our first objective. A Social Credit government would lend money at low rates, and in some cases without interest, to promote the development of certain industries by local bodies and private enterprise. Afforestation One of these. industries would be afforestation. The development of a large industry in the Marlborough Sounds area would bring enormous and lasting benefits, Mr Kerr said. Much of the land in the sounds area was marginal for normal cultivation. To bring such land into production would cost some £3O an acre, including gorse control, and the return would be about 3 per cent. With afforestation, even if low stumpage were paid, the return would be some 6 to 7 per cent.

Within 20 years with the growth of the timber a major industry would arise, and with this would come opportunities for a large proportion of the Marlborough youth, which now had to leave the province for advancement. With this and with a renewal of interest in the fishing industry could come increased prosperity for Picton and Kaikoura. Very plainly the whole area, rich in fish, needed fish-canning and processing plants. “We have heard a lot about the future of the fishing industry, but so far not much has been done," Mr Kerr said. “The setting-up of processing plants is an urgent necessity to convert a highly perishable commodity into something that can be transported and sold. The Marlborough Sounds provide a base for these industries, which could be second to none in New Zealand.” Vehicular Ferry An essential for the development of Marlborough would be the immediate addition of a second vehicular ferry, Mr Kerr said. There was no reason why the keel of this vessel should not have been laid already. It was obvious also that the charges levied for the use of the Aramoana must come down, and a great deal further than the National Government had promised. Some of the rates were good, but some could be greatly improved.