DIFFICULT YEAR

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 9, 8 December 1937, Page 2

DIFFICULT YEAR

SECONDARY INDUSTRIES. “LITTLE NEW DEVELOPMENT.” Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Dec. 7. In his presidential address at the annual conference of the Now Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation, Mr David Henry, of Auckland, said that, looking back over the year’s work, bethought liis chief feeling was one of disappointment at the meagre results achieved. “When the Government took officewe felt they were determined to push forward the manufacturing industries —not just make it possible to keep the existing factories busy, but also to help us develop manufacturing industries generally,” ho said. “Unfortunately, some manufacturers have not been able to oven keep all their staffs constantly employed through the year, and this position in time became so alarming that the solution Of that problem finally took precedence over all others.”

The simple facts were that little if any new development had taken place in industry, and even more serious was the outstanding fact that there were hundreds of people unemployed who should be working but for the excessive importation of goods, which could easily have been made by our own workmen, said Mr Henry. Fortunately, there was also a bright side to the picture: There were still many busy plants in New Zealand, and while the present buoyant prices for exports continued there was a substantial demand for New Zealand-made goods which could not be so _ readily imported from overseas countries. Mr Henry said the fact of the Government having adopted a somewhat different policy from any of which they had any previous experience did not condemn it, but it was very important that they should understand it, and at that point they were faced with -the position that they had never —so far as he knew—had any declara„ion of the full working policy presented to them. They were consequently left in a complete state of uncertainty regarding the future, which was fatal to industrial development. Stable conditions were the first essential of sound confidence and the very keystone of the business structure. If the Government would tell in clear, unequivocal terms what the future had in store for them they could shape their plans accordingly, and whether they as invididual? agreed with the policy or not, qt least they would have their feet on solid ground and have one of the problems removed. He gave Hon. D. G. Sullivan full credit for an unceasing desire to help the manufacturers to the utmost extent, and felt sure he would always represent their case to his colleagues in the way to merit the most careful consideration.