DOMINION’S NEED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 97, 24 March 1939, Page 9

DOMINION’S NEED

STAND CN OWN FEET. AIR SAVAGE’S VIEWS. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, March 23. “Evcryono who reads the news today must have some misgivings about the future,” said the Prime Minister (LU. Hon. M., J. Savage), in referring to the possibility of New Zealand being isolated and the need for building up local industry, while addressing employees of the Otaluihu railway workshops. Alany of I)is listeners could remember the friends that protected the trade routes in 11)14-1918, he continued, and he asked whether those friends would he with us in the days ahead if they were needed. New Zealand was the greatest exporter of primary produce to Great Britain in the world today, and to make a transformation was going to cause ail upset to some extent.

“AVe are not waiting for the drums to l>eat to consider that aspect,” AH Savage said. The Government had men two years ago measuring up the possible changes from where 1 lie country was then to where it might be in the event of war. From the point ol view of possible isolation alone, everyone must be struck by the great danger lurking just round the corner, and everyone must be struck by the need for New Zealand being able to stand on bet- own feet, consistent with buying as much as she could in the overseas market. Emphasising that lie lvad “nothing up his sleeve” when ho referred to possible isolation, Air Savage said that unless the country were used wo had no moral or economic right to it, ami certainly no military force to hold practically empty territory. This did not mean that the Government would dump thousands of people into the Dominion. Its job was to develop industry and make a place for people before they came.

“AVe want to build hero a. nation that will l>e a bard nut to crack.” Mr Savage added. He was not suggesting that anyone should start buckling on bis armour to go to the North Bole or Timbuctoo, or anywhere else, but be would like to see four men of our own race and way of living where there was one man to-day.