Immigration Wanted To Provide More Drivers

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30630, 22 December 1964, Page 6

Immigration Wanted To Provide More Drivers

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Dec. 21

The Government should reconsider its immigration policy with a view to increasing the number of skilled and semi-skilled workers in New Zealand, the president of the Carriers’ Federation (Mr L. V. Etwell) said today. He said the town carrying industry, in common with others employing similar kinds of workers, was in a serious position because of a shortage of drivers. “To some extent the situation has been met by working longer hours, perhaps overlong in some cases, but it is not any general solution because most of our work must be done within the rail, ware-

house and business hours of eight to five,” he said.

Mr Etwell said that with the expanding demands on road transport the problem assumed major national importance.

There had been a good deal said recently about the high cost of New Zealand’s internal transport and one reason for this, as far as it applied to carriers, was the shortage of drivers.

The carrying industry was an essential one and should not be placed in the position of having to compete for staff with less essential industries which could more easily pass on higher costs to the public. Immigration seemed the only solution, he said.