COUNTRY'S PROGRESS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 127, 25 November 1935, Page 13

COUNTRY'S PROGRESS

POPULATION ISSUE

THE FUTURE FOR BUILDING

The opinion that the future for building was more rosy and that work was more nearly approaching normal conditions was expressed by Mr. S. W. Fearn, the chairman, at the annual meeting of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects.

At the same time, continued Mr. Fearn, he could see no great building development until there was a considerably greater population, in the Dominion. He thought it might be questioned whether the progress of the country had not advanced as far as the present population would permit. There was a need of further people to carry on the burden of development. Such an increase of population could only be attained by a sound immigration policy. Mr. F. E. Greenish expressed his agreement with the opinion that further immigration was essential to progress; but it would need, he said, to be planned immigration and should not be left to the haphazard methods^of the past. The Dominion needed not only immigrants for the primary industries, but it was inevitable that workers for the secondary industries should come too. With the increase of population, there would be also an in the quantity of imported goods required 'from the Old Country, so that if New Zealand relieved the Old Country of a certain number of its unemployed workers there should be no need for any, misgivings regarding the further development of certain secondary industries.