WHEN SOLDIERS RETURN

Evening Star, Issue 24016, 15 October 1941, Page 3

WHEN SOLDIERS RETURN

NEW INDUSTRIES ID ABSORB THEM LAND AVENUE LIMITED BY MARKETS BIG HOUSING PROGRAMME (Special.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 14. “ There are probably half a dozen major new industries which should bo started in New Zealand,” said Mr Nash, Minister of Finance, when, iu moving the second reading of the Rehabilitation Bill in the House tonight, he showed that plans for this purpose had a very wide range. “It is imperative,” he continued, “ that these new industries should bo. started if we are to _ get a decent economic and social life for the returned soldier. There is not enough' room to put all the men on the,land, and find a market for their produce.. Though for a time after the war thero will be a market, then we will have difficulty in finding markets for all our primary products.” The Minister declared that New, Zealand’s potentialities for electrical development were probably unsurpassed in any part of the world, and must ba exploited. This, however, meant bringing in a large amount of machinery, of a costly nature, so the Government would prepare by building up fund* overseas for this equipment, which would have to be brought in. Thera was provision in the Bill for an expansion of Public Works undertakings* but he hoped the country would forget the idea of providing work just to give employment. The work planned ahead would, he said, be necessary work. The Government had bought fairly large areas of land on which it to make arrangements where soldier* could be trained, and those already’ competent could take up the_ landThey would endeavour to avoid the mistakes of the past, though in saying, this, he made it clear that he realised that those administering rehabilitation after the last war had no precedents such as were now so useful. He recalled past experience where a 10,000 acre block bn which the owner made a magnificent living was acquired, and cut into ten areas of 1,000 acres. It was then impossible for the ten soldiers to meet the _ capitalcharges and make the same living as could have been made from 10,000 undivided acres.

“ Unless this Government takes housing in hand fairly quickly, and provides double the, quantity in numbers it has built in the past,’’ continued Mr Nash, “ there is going to be difficulty when the soldiers come back. They will demand the right to go into their own homes, so that there is imperative need for the construction of more houses. They knew, he added, the difficulties in obtaining materials and labour, but, despite this, it was imperative that we should overcome the cruel shortage of house®, which would get worse unless there was extraordinary expansion. Mr Doidge; What are you going to d» about it?

Mr Nash replied that he was explaining the foundations which the Government was laying. It was already building in a year twice as many houses as in the previous three years, and had provided more in the past five years. than in the preceding ten. '

“ But.” be concluded, “we must double our production in the next five years, That means training men in carpentry and securing more materials from overseas and in the Dominion. We cannot let our soldiers come back without having somewhere for them to live.”