BIG PROBLEMS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 9 March 1926, Page 8

BIG PROBLEMS.

IMPRESSIONS OP SIR F. HEATH

Taking as like basis of his remarks

certain impressions which he had form-

ed in New Zealand, Sir Frank Heath, who was the chief guest and l speaker at a luncheon given by the Wellington industrial Association last week, dealt interestingly with problems which industrialists had to meet-

Sir Frank said that the present was probably the last occasion on which he would l>e called on to speak in public, and he might be excused if he attempt-

ed to look at New Zealand industry from a rather wide point of view. He would not tie liimseif to> scientific

questions, but would bring into the field certain other broad considerations. There were several things that had impressed him. One was the physical condition ol' the New Zealand workmen, which was a big advantage to the country. The standard of Life was such that they had been able to recruit for their industries men and women of a line, healthy stamp, better than in the United Kingdom and the United States. They had advantages not only in the amount of outpufi hut in quality of output. Although they had the material, the conditions in the factory were not such as to make the most of the advantages they obtained, One was artificial light. In that direction an improvement could, be made. Another thing which he had noticed was that in a very large number of industries there was a multiplicity of product®, which was a burden on the industry. That was inevitable, of

course, in view of the demands of cus-

tomers. It entailed larger overhead expenses and a greater study of the

needs of the public. He was not sure that mutliplicity could not be' overcome. It could not he done, certainly, without organisation of industry. Jn 'Germany a system of specialisation had been adopted. That could be brought about by agreement if an industry was properly organised. Science could help in matters of factory light and factory lay-out. He fancied that New Zealand would be driven into specialisation. All industries could not use science with the same ease ; that fact had been brought to his notice during his tour of New Zealand. Industries could he divided into two classes —one was that which had been brought about by craftsmanship. A notable example of that was the textile .industry. Skill had to he used in that industry which was not used in any other branch of industry. The machine had done away with the necessity for the highly-skilled craftsman.

If they were going to bring science on an industry like that they had to go back and discoyer what it was that had a'ready been done. They had to begin with a careful analysis of existing practices. That had been done at Home, and was already having results. When thp analysis was completed,'suggestions would be made as to how' the machinery could he improved. No one firm could undertake that work, for it entailed detailed organisation. There were other industries where the application of science was much easier—the industries which Were born of science and would not have been established had it not been for science. That was true of all chemical industries, an example of which was the dye industry. The e'ectrical side' of engineering was horn of science, and its future depended on the possibility of improving the machinery which was employed. In that branch of industry organisation whs equally needed —not only organisation in .the laboratory, but in the factory. How man\j firms were there in the British Empire able to carry out research on a large sca'ep Improvements to an industry meant the expenditure of a large amount of time and money beyond the resources of a single firm, but it could he done by the organisation of a. particular industry. Only by organisation could they prepare to meet competition. which was quite certain to grow rather than diminish as time went on. Tf groups of business men came together to cope with the difficulties that arose in connection with

secondnry industries much o;ood avotlc could be done. New Zealand had made remarkable progress, and he ventured to say that no country of the same size had made such progress in 90 years as New Zealand had done, Thev must not- expect such remarkable progress in the next 90 vears. Progress would have to be slower in the future., Thev must avoid false steps and misconceived ideas. Referring to mass production. Sir Frank said that it might be said that' mass production was born in America. Owing t-n die shortage of skilled labour, the A merioan.s were compelled to use automatic machines. The shortage of skilled labour in America was caused bv tlie enormous expansion of the total ponulntion without a corresponding expansion in the craft of the workers. Great cunt,ion was needed in countries which were moving towards mass production. The speaker suggested that a ronnd-tbe-tnb'e conference of industrialists to deal with problems with' which thev were faced might save the countrv from inanv mistakes.