WORK OUR FACTORIES MORE

Evening Star, Issue 21720, 15 May 1934, Page 10 (Supplement)

WORK OUR FACTORIES MORE

“ 20,000 more workers could be directly employed on our existing plant-which means 40,000 directly & indirectly.” Mr Manders is Secretary to the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation.

A joint appeal by Mr Forbes, Mr Coates, and tbc late Air H. E. Holland; —“ By fostering our local industries we can help towards a permanent solution of the unemployment problem. Over 50,000 (now 70,000) men are out of work today, and their return to profitable employment is largely in your hands. Buy New Zealand goods.” WHAT COULD BE ACHIEVED. During the last few years the number of industrial ■workers has declined from 66,000 to 5*2,000 — with, of course, a corresponding decrease in the number of those indirectly dependent on manufacturing industry. The 14,000 displaced workers were actually in employment two or three years ago; so the necessary plant and equipment must be in existence to re-employ them. Only the market is required, and they could be reabsorbed in a month. A calculation has been made by the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation on the basis of an in-' quiry into the difference between the present output ” and “ capacity ” output of our existing factory plant. At a conservative estimate at least 20,000 more workers could be directly employed with our existing plant—which means 40,000 directly and indirectly —if we were enabled to produce to full capacity. With additional plant our existing factories could absorb, at a conservative estimate, 30,000 more workers than at present—which means that fresh employment would be found, directly and indirectly, for 60,000.

Whenever we buy goods, any goods, wo are giving employment to somebody. The question is; Shall we give a job to somebody in New Zealand or to somebody in England, Czechoslovakia, or Japan?

On the land? To produce more butter, more cheese, more meat, more wool ? To glut further an already glutted market? Well, even those who believe that this dominion still needs more farmers—even those who still contemplate further land settlement schemes—must recognise that no policy of land settlement, not the most ambitious scheme ever devised, could “ settle ” anything approaching the number of our present unemployed, or half .that number, or a-quartcr of that number, to say nothing of the 11,000 boys leaving school and looking for jobs every year.

There arc over 11,000 boys leaving school every year—an excess of nearly 6,000 over the number of men dying or retiring. How can these boys find productive employment? Only through the expansion of. industries, either farming or manufacturing, can these lads be absorbed. Whether or not they shall be given employment depends on whether the people of New Zealand arc willing to buy dominion goods, rather than imported goods, whenever they can he procured. The Governor - General (Lord Blcdislo'e) has himself declared: — It is true patriotism and the

The Unemployment Board lieport, 1932. states: —‘‘It is abundantly clear that the fuller development of existing secondary industries and the building-up -of new industries must be ejected if unemployment figures arc to become normal —even after an improvement in export trade has occurred.”

height of prudence to support local industries by purchasing their products. If these are not available of the description and quality and price desired, then—and only then—is the purchase of imported goods justifiable. Even now we have 70,000 registered unemployed adult males—probably 100,000 unemployed altogether. How can ; they be reabsorbed ?

The Prime Minister (Eight Hon. G. \V. .Forbes) has declared: “As an avenue for relieving the unemployment problem, the employment of workers in our factories presents one of the most logical solutions. ”

Mr Manders makes some interesting calculations