MR SKINNER’S PROPOSALS

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31317, 13 March 1967, Page 1

MR SKINNER’S PROPOSALS

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, March 12.

The New Zealand economy needs a shot in the arm, not a noose round its neck, the president of the Federation of Labour, Mr T. E. Skinner, will tell the federation protest meeting at Carlaw Park tomorrow morning.

Mr Skinner said in Auckland today he would put a dozen or 13 concrete proposals to the meeting for alternative ways of dealing with the country’s economic problems.

He would put the same points to the other main centre stop-work meetings this week, on Tuesday morning in Dunedin, on Wednesday morning in Christchurch and on Friday morning in Wellington. Later on Friday, said Mr Skinner, the national executive of the federation would meet in Wellington to consider endorsing the proposals for submission to the Government. “Not A Noose” The proposals were designed to do the minimum of harm to the economy while helping to improve the balance-of-payments problem. “We don’t think restrictions on production will help at all. We think they will do the reverse,” he said. “I will tell the meeting that the economy needs a shot in the arm, not a noose round its neck.” Asked whether his proposals

were in line with those put forward in a nine-point plan suggested by the New Zealand Carpenters’ and Allied Trades Union, Mr Skinner said:

“I wouldn’t say we would be opposed to any of them.” And he added: “They would have to be framed in our own way.” Mr Skinner said he had received the carpenters’ proposals a week ago and for the last few days bad been working on the statement he would make at tomorrow’s meeting.