UNEMPLOYMENT AND LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

Evening Star, Issue 19272, 10 June 1926, Page 2

UNEMPLOYMENT AND LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —As one of the “ iScadcmic theorists ” opposing Air Gilchrist in your paper I will remark briefly on the letter of Mr J. E- MacManns, appearing in vonr issue ot this evening. The contention of Mr MacManns that wholesale support of our local and New Zealand productions would case the unemployment problem is probably true to a certain extent, hut two considerations should be noted to offset such an advantage. First, it is a poor policy for any country to ship to overseas markets many score of millions worth of produce annually and at the same time roln.se to patronise those, markets in respect to manufactured articles. Secondly, Mr MacManns overlooks the fact that even if England would si aml such a one-sided arrangement and our own sense of fairness did not revolt at it, the cure would probably bo worse than the disease, for this reason, that the then-prosperous nature of our industries and country would attract the much larger number of the overseas unemployed which the Homeland would then have. The on y way in which the immigration could be stopped would bo complete severance from England. It is a great pity onr Socialistic correspondents cannot put forward as a solution of the problem something other than the “academic theories” Mr MacManns puts his name to.—l am, etc., E.W.E. June 9.