PEOPLE AND WORK

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 70, 24 March 1937, Page 8

PEOPLE AND WORK

"When I went to buy a,hot water bottle the other day (writes "More People, More Work") I was told that one which would cost me about half a crown or three shillings in England would be six shillings and sixpence out here, for the following reason: Added to 25 per cent, exchange, there was also so much freight, so much duty, and so much sales tax, all of which added up to over 100 per cent, more than the English price." The correspondent proceeds to argue from these facts that if, say, half a million more inhabitants were to be added to New Zealand by immigration, it would be possible to make in the Dominion many articles now. imported, thus saving all the freight and duty and sales tax. "It was suggested many months ago in the -'Manawatu Times' that every new immigrant required at least food and clothes, and so to feed and clothe our new half-million would give a spurt to those dealing in food and cloth.es. Of course, the new halfmillion would require money. But it will be remembered that we shall need factories for our new manufactures, and some of our new half-mil-lion will find work in building these and in building houses for the new half-million and furniture for the new half-million, and schools for the new half-million's children. Then perhaps our new manufactures will cost us less and we shall be a few shillings in pocket, and so be able to travel a little more. And this might mean that the Napier-Gisbome railway might be speeded up a little, giving- more employment, paid for by part of the money we save. And perhaps other secondary industries might be started in this country, now that there is this new half-million to cater for, and so might the expense be' saved of bringing over so much from the Mother Country. The butter, cheese, and meat which would be left on New Zealand's hands, owing to her not having so much to take from England in exchange, would go into the mouths of theaiew half-million."