INDUSTRIAL DRIFT

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30445, 20 May 1964, Page 11

INDUSTRIAL DRIFT

Scotland And Southland “The Press” Special Servict INVERCARGILL, May 18. Scotland had shared with Southland the problem of an industrial drift, the Scottish baritone, Kenneth McKellar, said today. Although Scotland’s had been a southward drift, to the English Midlands, it had placed the country in practically identical circumstances to those in which the south of New Zealand was today, with most of the industry centred in the North Island.

Scotland, however, had completely overcome this problem, and within 10 years had completely reversed the position, Mr McKellar said. Scotland was now one of the most industrially advanced countries in the world, with more than 3000 business concerns making the Glasgow area one of the world’s greatest concentrations of industry.

Within five years, overseas manufacturers had invested £5OO million in Scotland. A further indication of the country’s progress was the fact that the General Post Office Savings Rank headquarters, previously situated in London, had recently been moved to Glasgow.

Scottish industrialists were keenly interested in New Zealand’s trend, he said, and felt that there was no reason why the drift could not be overcome in this country also.