POST-WAR TRADE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21068, 13 April 1943, Page 2

POST-WAR TRADE

N.Z. PROSPECTS BIG EXPORT' DEMAND NATIONAL PARTY’S PLANS (S.R.) AUCKLAND, April .13. The National Party’s policy was outlined by ihe Leader of the -Opposition, Mr. is. G. Holland, in the Auckland Town Hull last night to an audience which almost filled the hall. There were a few isolated interjections iri the earlier part of the meeting, but those subsided when it' was announced that Mr. Holland would answer quest ions, and' for the reminder of his. speech, which occupied almost two hours, he was given an excellent hearing; He said it was, not (lie party’s intention to seek office on the failures of the present Government, on wild promises, or by pandering to the people. He believed his party is plan had ail the merit necessary to achieve that end. A vote of thanks was carried without dissent. The view that after the war a. world-wide demand for foodstuffs would maintain New Zealand's: export, markets was expressed' bv Mr. Holland. If the Atlantic Char-ter-meant what he believed it to moan, there must bo a higher standard of nutrition throughout the world. Experts had estimated that after the war, to abolish malnutrition, Britain would need 41 per cent more butter, 55 per cent more eggs, 124 per cent more fruit, 29 per cent more meat, and 80 per cent more milk. In supplying these needs there-would ho. :a great field for New Zealand and it was important to note that the leaders of the United' Nations' hgd agreed' that the price level should not he allowed, to collapse. The three salient facts were that the price structure would not bo allowed +o collapse, that there would be a world demand for food, and that Now Zealand could increase- production for export. Thus they : were justified in believing that prospects were good for the farmer. Provision of Work ‘‘ It appears that the country side of our economy is promising,“ lie said, “provided we watch the farmer’s costs and arrest the drift cf population to ihe towns. “Now look at the town side, and the employment question. We.believe in the right.to work. It is a plank in the policy of the National Party that every man

eapable of work is entitled as of right to well-paid creative employment. This would be meaningless, however, unless backed up with a plan to'ensure Work - being available —and by - work we don't mean relief work, >•- —-A < < The basis of useful employmetn us house-building.. Someone will say—‘Oh, ' that’s Labour’s policy/ but Labour has no monopoly of- housing, and Labour’s claims must be ~ considered in the light, of performance. lii " the 1936 Budget, Mr. Nash promised to produce'sooo houses for £6OO each, but the cost has worked out .at £1350 each. Unquestionably,'“.‘the I Government had biiilt a'lot,of houshs, and in the main they are well built, but the housing problem is no'neater salution now than it was in 1935/’ Government Mistake ' No one could question the Got eminent’s good intentions, but where it made the mistake was in. simply transferring men froni private house building to .State house' building. When men were most needed to work oh building houses in 1939, there were 20,000 men on public works,-and 10,00 men on scheme 13. The bottleneck in housing was man-power, and the National Party would overcome that problem by training the necessary skilled workers. New Zealand for war purposse had trained men from all sorts of occupations to become highly skilled pilots, navigators, technicians, and'mechanics in from'six to 12 mouths, and men .to build houses could be trained in the same way. To effect this, wartime camps would bo used as vocational training centres. Every trained 'carpenter would mean work for two other tradesmen in ancillary trades. This plan would yield 25,000 extra men for full-time employment in house-building for at least 10 years and would overcome the housing ■ problem, which since. 1940 had become progressively worse. ■ . Freehold titles would be available to all who desired them,' said Mr. Holland. Slum clearance would be tackled, and residential areas would, be developed on the outskirts of towns and cities where there would be sufficient land for. people to grow' vegetables and produce eggs and fruit, thus reducing their living costs. There would be a scheme for maintenance by contract. Someone would say these things would cost a lot, but if the country could afford £133,000,000 in one year for winning the war it could afford the cost of winning tlie peace. ’ - U