Manawatu Daily Times How to Help Hew Zealand

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7170, 18 March 1930, Page 6

Manawatu Daily Times How to Help Hew Zealand

Two schools of economic thought in New Zealand vie with each other in advocating their particular panacea for the ills which beset the country. “Increase primary production,” cries economist number one. “Increase secondary production,” cries economist number two. The primary producer demands that tariff walls be broken down so that he might buy in the cheapest market, and by reducing production costs to a minimum encourage increased output, incidentally making the country almost solely dependent on his efforts. The secondary producer says: “Protect me from oversea competition, and I will build you industries which by employing thousands will give you more profitable markets at your very doors.”

Of course, the ideal is a happy mean between these two extremes. Wo need to-day, and need badly, more output per acre and more acres producing an output. We need, and need badly, healthy industries employing labour and helping to absorb our raw materials. Any firm or individual, therefore, assisting towards this ideal is doing the Dominion a signal service. One of the really valuable contributions to the fostering of a healthy secondary industry which uses our raw materials is now being made by General Motors, Ltd. Having already given employment to many men by establishing a large factory in New Zealand, it has gone a step further by definitely standardising on New Zealand-made upholstery in all closed cars built in its Petone factory. The company states quite frankly that it approached the idea of using New Zealandmade fabrics with distrust and prejudice, but 14 months’ trial in cars sold for general use and hard wear, trimmed with Dominion-made upholstery, have shown results which surpass every expectation, and was so unquestionably satisfactory that many thousand yards of imported matei'ial now in the factory are being scrapped to make way for the all-New Zealand pure wool article, and buyers are now assured of 50 per cent, better value and service from the local-made fabric, which is the most durable one obtainable in the world. Each car requires 11 yards of “trim" to upholster it, and each yard of the material requires three pounds of wool. Had each closed car ’sold in the Dominion last year been trimmed with local fabric it would have taken over 560,000 lbs. of wool, and £165,000 more would have been spent in our mills.

Official returns show that last year our woollen mills were mostly marking time. There was a serious falling-off in the production of tweeds and flannels, but fortunately an increase in blankets, shawls, rugs and yarns just enabled the industry to hold its own. The workers suffered with a drop in overtime worked by 37 per cent., while short time increased from 4,400 to 30,000 hours, a big drop in the purchasing power of the employees which must have had its effect on business. At present our 12 mills employ 2,500 workers, and the output, all told, of woollen goods and clothing is only £1,250,000 worth, but our imports of woollen and wool “mixture” goods, in manufactured form, amounts to over £4,000,000 a year! We can make the finest woollen fabrics in the world from our new “live” wool; yet we export that and reimport it adulterated with cotton, shoddy and “dead” wool, while our own mills are only running part time. New Zealand manufactures, properly appreciated and properly supported, would pay handsome returns to primary production by developing that most profitable of markets—the local consumer.

Mr. A. H. Briasco, D.8.5.M., will speak to the Citizens’ Lunch Club today on “The Evolution of Music.’’ Mr. Georgo Bartholomew, the wellknown choirmaster and conductor, of r.eilditigj will preside- ,

In the Children’s Court at Wairoa a youth was convicted and committed to the care of the Child Welfare Department for a particularly cruel act in screwing off the tails of two cows on a ißr® where he was employed,'

In view of the increased massage work at the Palmerston North hospital, the board. has sanctioned the appointment of an additional masseuse.

In another column will he found tho programme of the Manawatu Caledonian Society’s annual gathering to be hold on the Showgrounds on Easter Monday. Several additions have been made to tho list, and the A grade events for cyclists have been made open.

During February 216 patients were admitted to the Palmerston North hospital, while IDS were discharged and 9 died. The average number of occupied beds was 176.25. Seven cases -of diphtheria and three of scarlet fever were also admitted and at tho end. of the month there were 13 cases in isolation.

According to a report presented to the Palmerston North Hospital Board yesterday by tho secretary (Mr. A. J. Phillipps) the first flow struck at the borough artesian bore showed a temporary hardness of 8 degrees, and from rough tests carried out it appears likely that tho water from the second flow will require softening.

When tho social welfare committee of the Palmerston North Hospital Board recommended at yesterday’s meeting that patients’ fees amounting to £4752 9s 6d be written off, Mr. J. A. Nash, M.P., reported that very careful consideration had been given to each individual account and all recom mended for dcltetion were regarded as hopeless.

“We have not got enough room for our own inmates,” stated tho secretary (Mr. A. J. Phillipps) at yesterday’s meeting of tho Palmerston North Hospital Board when tho Taumarunui Hospital Board asked if one of its patients could be admitted to tho Palmerston North Old People’s Homo as it had no homo of its own. The request was declined.

The Palmerston North Hospital Board has been cited as a party to the Wellington District Hotel and Restaurant Workers’ Award. Ycsteiday the board decided that tho managingsecretary confer with tho secretary of tho Employers’ Association and, if necessary, appear on behalf of the boaid with a view to securing an exemption.

An accident occurred at 5.20 o’clock last evening when a sedan car, driven by Mr. V. Williamson, if Limbrick street, Palmerston North, left the road while proceeding along Church street and came in contact with the fence in front of the Gospel hall near the Albert street intersection. The occupant of the car was unhurt but the front wheels and mudguards of tho vehicle were extensively damaged.

It was learned yesterday that an endeavour is being made by the Manawatu Sub-Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association to have Levin as the venue of tho annual country clubs’ championship meeting on Easter ‘Saturday. Levin has experienced a lean year in athletics, and the championships, if allotted to that centre, will give a much needed stimulus to tho sport. A recommendation to this effect has been made by the sub-centre to the New Zealand Association.

The report of the Charitable Aid officer (Mr. F. Aisher) submitted to yesterday’s meeting of tho Palmerston North Hospital Board showed that employment over the district seemed to be fairly good. In Palmerston North he issued 152 rations to 19 families at a cost of £46 17s 4d, compared with 167 rations to 18 families at a cost of £SO 19s lOd (5 weeks) for January. In February, 1929, he issued 163 rations to 22 families. The number of casuals calling on him for beds and meals was 19 and of these he assisted 15 at a cost of £3 Bs. In January he assisted 12 out of 15 who called.

"There seems to be something radically wrong that there should be so many single men calling upon the Charitable Aid officer for help,” stated Mr. V. E. Smith at the Palmerston North Hospital Board meeting yesterday. "I think we must be imposed upon in many cases.” Mr. Smith held that it was peculiar that these men always arrived after 5 p.m. when it was too late to get anywhere. He fancied life was being made too easy for these persons in the towns and with the result that they would not get out into the country where the ■farmers wanted help.

The Palmerston North Hospital Board yesterday decided to ask the Minister of Health for authority to incur an overdraft of £BOOO for the first quarter of the coming financial year. The secretary (Mr. A. J. Phillipps) stated that last year the board secured authority for a £IO,OOO overdraft, but only £BOOO was required. In reporting on the financial position of the board's finances, the secretary stated that at the end of February the patients' fees receipts amounted to £10,758, as against £9,125 for the corresponding period last year, and he was now in a position to state that on .the total of maintenance items the board would have a small credit balance at the end of the year.