FUTURE OF INDUSTRY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 263, 5 October 1936, Page 9

FUTURE OF INDUSTRY

EFFECTS OF BILL. MINISTER’S ATTITUDE. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 4. The possibility of the 'lndustrial Efficiency Hill leading to problems involving the independence and existence of individual firms, in pursuit of the Government’s principle of coordination in industries, is not regarded by the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Hon. D. G. Sullivan) as a matter for present consideration.

Mr Sullivan, in an interview yesterday, made it clear that he was not ready to discuss this possibility, saying that it was one of the problems which would have to be dealt with by machinery to be set up under the Bill. “It is impossible for anyone to prophesy to what extent the same redundancy as at present would exist under a co-ordinated system,” said Mr Sullivan. “You may have smaller units in competition with larger units unable to hold their own where they are attempting to give full service and to handle all lines in industry, but I can conceive that under a co-ordinated organisation in industry there would be a useful part tor be played by the smaller unit. It could devote itself to some special phase of activity in industry, which perhapp it could do efficiently. I think it may be possible to find a useful place in the scheme of things for the smaller units,” he added. He did not expect to have to settle disputes between the larger and smaller firms. Such problems would be dealt with by agreement. A number of industries, including two or three of the largest, had over a number of months' made representations to the Government asking for legislation along the lines of the Bill, with particular reference to coordination.