PRODUCTION DURING WARTIME

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 128, 24 February 1941, Page 6

PRODUCTION DURING WARTIME

Proposed Economic Council GOVERNMENT LIKELY TO CALL CONFERENCE

The advisability of appointing an Economic Council or some such organization to survey, give advice on, and to some extent guide the productive and industrial activities of the Dominion during the war period was discussed by the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, on Saturday. He suggested, that in this way it. should be possible still further to increase the efficiency of the country’s war effort. “This matter,” he said, “has engaged. my attention for some little time and during the past week I have mentioned the matter to my colleagues in the Government and the War Cabinet. I have also brought the question to the notice of the members of tlie Parliamentary Labour Party at the caucus meeting (luring the present week. I hope to discuss the project with representatives of the Federation of Labour, representing the trade unions, and the Employers’ Federation, as well as with others interested during next week. I mentioned the proposal incidentally to a representative deputation of manufacturers who waited on the Minister of Finance, Mr. Nash, the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr. Sullivan, and myself on Friday. The Government, probably in the near future, may call a conference similar to the Economic Stabilization Conference held in September and October of last year, with a view to obtaining the support of all concerned for a truly national co-operative effort in the directing of which the Government, Parliament, and employers’ and workers’ organizations representing all branches of industrial activity, primary and secondary, will participate. Exports And Imports.

“Possible developments in various fields of war which may detrimentally affect New Zealand shipping and, consequently, our exports and imports, and through these our whole national life, may and probably will make inevitable economic difficulties and sacrifices.

“If New Zealand is to emerge from such trials witli its economic and social standards intact or recoverable, there must bo organization, co-operation, and good will among all the people of the country, particularly among those directly engaged in industrial activities.

“As a matter of tact, New Zealand’s war effort, which today embodies practically the work of everybody performing useful service, calls urgently for such organization, cooperation and goodwill. The many and complex problems affecting workers, including the shortage of skilled labour as well as materials, demands greater co-operation and, if need lie, control; but to be thoroughly efficient that control should, if possible, be self-accepted and self-operated. How this can be best achieved, whether by a thoroughly representative Economic Council or otherwise would lie lhe main and most important, business of the conference when called.”