INDUSTRIAL DRIFT

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30389, 13 March 1964, Page 15

INDUSTRIAL DRIFT

Call For Govt Action "The Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association strongly believes that the Government could take more realistic and legitimate action to encourage the development and expansion of industry in the South Island,” said the association’s president (Mr R. G. Pearce) yesterday afternoon. Mr Pearce, who was commenting on the statement by the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) that the Government had no proposals before it to counteract the drift of industry to the North, said: “This association is preparing proposals for the encouragement of the dispersion of industry in New Zealand. “We agree with the Prime Minister, that this is a worldwide problem, but the governments of some other countries are taking positive action to correct the lopsided development of their nations,” he said. Mr Pearce said the association had recently informed the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Marshall) about its proposals, and, when these had been completed, they would be submitted to the Government. “The Association believes that its proposals will encourage greater Government action than the powers of persuasion mentioned by Mr Holyoake,” said Mr Pearce.