N.Z. INDUSTRIES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20618, 20 November 1941, Page 8

N.Z. INDUSTRIES

GREAT EXPANSION POST-WAR PLANNING PRESIDENT'S APPEAL (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, thu day A greater transformation m Ibc manufacturing structure of the Dominion. has been seen in the past year than m any ether similar period m if. history, said Mr. C. V. Smith, president of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation', in his address to Hie annual conference ol Wairakei. The manufacturers had met in a truly magnificent manner the call for added production and for new lines to replace the stoppage of overseas supplies, he said. “I know there are some things, mainly of a luxury type which we cannot make.” added the chairman. “That can be remedied by importing when times are normal, because I do not believe in the theory of making everything in New Zealand, nor the encouragement of mushroom industries that arc a burden to the public. Prices have gone up but New Zealand manufactured goods have only increased by 6.4 per cent since August. 1939. while the rise in imported lines has been 23.1! per cent. Simpler Control Needed “1 look forward to the day when import control can be abolished in its present form, and a simpler method introduced,” concluded Mr. Smith. T look forward much more to the day when, through the excellence of our own products and the, national consciousness of the New Zealand public, only the minimum amount of protection will be necessary. It is because Ido not want to see 40,000 or 50,000 people engaged on useless public works after the war that I urge the immediate and serious study of post-war planning, said Mr. Smith. After seeing what our factories can do in giving useful employment, I cannot credit that New Zealanders would agree to return to the position where the main prospect of employment lay in public works. “No matter what may be the external conditions after the war, we must find work for our own people, and you can only do so in two sound ways. You can absorb them in primary production, but not many, or you can absorb some in factory industry where there are lens of thousands of opportunities iT Iliasituation is correctly handled. Surely it is better lo spend £1,000,000 bn a piojec. that is going to produce some'thing jnd give employment than on removing weeds from footpaths or straightening bends on a road. Seriousness Not Realised

“Although many problems regarding raw material supplies have been brought before the Government, unfortunately the real seriousness of the problem for 1942 does not yet seem to be appreciated,” stated the annual report of the federation. There were cases where delays in the issuing of licenses or insistence on rigid adherence to the import schedule had meant a loss of supplies as well as considerably advanced prices when the orders ultimately were placed. “If New Zealand’s factories and any other industries associated with war production are to achieve their maximum output, some of the working conditions enjoyed by the workers in normal times of peace may have to be sacrificed temporarily.” states the report. “While no sacrifice in rates of pay is suggested, there are many cases where the adjustment of overtime restrictions, or of conditions governing piece-work, ehifi work and the employment of females, etc., will have to be made if we are to get the maximum production. The worker will not suffer so far as his standard of living or health is concerned, but most of the production will be kept at a reasonable level and the output , procured.”