NEW INDUSTRIES

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 258, 29 July 1939, Page 12

NEW INDUSTRIES

Question On Distribution MINISTER’S STATEMENT A question whether the Minister, when licensing new industries, would give consideration to (a) the better distribution of population and (b) the safeguarding of essential industries against possible enemy attack, was asked of the Minister of Industries lin’d Commerce, Mr. Sullivan, by Mr. Cullen (Government, Hawke’s Bay), on behalf of Mr. Barnard (Government, Napier), in the House of Representatives. I “The modern tendency is for new industries to crowd into two or three industrial areas, such as Wellington and Auckland, which areas may be open to attack from enemy aircraft,” Mr. Cullen said. “The erection of a factory at Rongotai for the manufacture of aeroplanes is a striking instance of the present trend to which the question draws attention.” “A requirement to procure a licence before commencing manufacture applies only to those industries which have been declared to be subject to licensing tinder the Industrial Efficiency Act, 1936,” said Mr. Sullivan in reply yesterday. “Twenty-one industries have been so gazetted, but this number includes several distributive industries and, in fact, embraces only three industries which were at the time of licensing, or are at present, entirely new to the Dominion. “Tile manufacture of aeroplanes, mentioned by the honourable member, is not subject to licence under the Industrial Efficiency Act, so that the site of the factory is a matter for the manufacturer himself who, in the case mentioned, nd doubt had reasons for choosing Rongotai. Where, however, the industry concerned is a licensed one, the Bureau of Industry is required in considering the application to have regard to the economics of the proposed site in relation to markets, power, raw materials, labour, and these questions are very thoroughly examined in each case.”