N.Z. MANUFACTURING

Grey River Argus, 11 February 1941, Page 7

N.Z. MANUFACTURING

Wonderful Growth IN PAST FIVE YEARS. CHRISTCHURCH, February 10. “The course of the war has accentuated the importance of the secondary industries of the Dominion and our mills and factories are playing a vital part in our war effort,’’ the Minister for Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) said in an interview yesterday. “To-day, it is not a question of the relative importance of primary and secondary industries. Those outworn arguments are as dead as Julius Caesar. We are geared for war and we must exploit to the utmost every avenue of production that will fulfil our immediate requirements, both military and civil. There is a great job to “do. We should get on with it to the best of our ability and will. “We are handicapped I'know by restricted raw materials and machinery supplies in some cases, but that should only stimulate invention and substitution. It has been good to see what has been done in this direction by many of our manufacturers. We always have the fellow in all walks of life who will sit down and growl and fail to help himself; but it is truly amazing to see how difficulties are being overcome by the great majority of our manufacturers and . artisans. The manufacture of machinery and equipment for the linen-flax industry is a typical example, and when the story is finally told of the establishment of this industry in a few short months—comprising 11 factories field equipment, and the rest — any who now discount our war effort wiil find that they have been astray in their judgment.” The Minister spid it was a matter for thankfulness that New Zealand had embarked on a' programme of industrial expansion over the last few years. The country was well into its manufacturing stride when war was declared, and the diversity of its production had greatly lessened the anxiety that . isolation might bring. . “Figures give an inadequate picture of the recent development of oiir manufacturing capacity and the potentialities of our present industrial strength. But since 1935 about 1,000 new factories have been established. Moreover, 160 entirely new items have been produced. The number of secondary industry employees has increased by 10,000 in new factories, while the increase for all factories is 25,000, and annual wages and salaries’ have risen from £13,000,000 to £21,000.000 in all groups of factory production.’’ The capital invested had increased enormously. An additional £692,000 was invested in the clothing industry, enabling New Zealand to beat all records in equipping - its troops with the best quality of military clothing in the world- Some people had the notion that all our machinery came from abroad, whereas a field of production had been opened up, £807,000 having been invested since 1935 to make machines of all kinds to meet the ever-growing needs; the added investment in the processing of metals was £312,000. The industries associated with the manufacture of paper had gained £72,000 in capital, while investments in four years in the processing of clay, glass, and stone were £223,000. “This shows,” Mr. Sullivan said, “that investors and manufacturers have demonstrated their faith in manufacturing in New Zealand. Nor must it be forgotten that much of the increased capital used in the expansion of industry came from overseas. For instance, one Australian concern sets its capital at £75,000, an American firm gives the same figure, and amounts ranging from £lO,OOO, to £50,000 have been mentioned by several overseas concerns a's the amount they have used to establish units of manufacturing in New Zealand. Before the application of import selection many of these firms shared in the New Zealand import market.' United Kingdom firms have established subsidiary plants for the manufacture of malted milk, electric lamps aircraft, washing blue, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical preparations, electric ranges, electric cleaners, cornflour, cigarette papers, and many other commodities. Australian firms had established units for. the manufacture of carpets and felt and cotton-wool, nuts bolts, and screws: lampshades, tiles,’ dry batteries, and wet batteries, paints and lacquers, sports goods, steelwool, wallboard, and so on. Among the lines being manufactured by American firms are cosmetics, soaps, dentifrices, washing machines, chewing gum, and medicinal preparations.