More Work Wanted, Not Immigrants

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 47, 25 February 1938, Page 7

More Work Wanted, Not Immigrants

GOVERNMENT CRITICISED Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Feb. 24. "I firmly believe that we in Ne* Zealand have reached a critical stag* in our development and that our population has outgrown the capacity cl our primary industries to maintain it unless a larger portion of . the population is enabled to work for its support.’ said Mr W. R. Fee, president of th< Auckland Chamber of Commerce, at the annual meeting to-day. “Until a solution is found there cm be no hope for the permanent employ ment of many thousands of our so called surplus population, and the r? commencement of migration to thi: country under existing circumstancewould be unwise in the extreme,” h< added. Mr Fee criticised the Government'; tendency to neglect the developmen of secondary industries as a means helping the unemployed. It was to b( regretted, he said, that the Governmen had pursued its policy of nationalise tion relentlessly and without due regard to the welfare of business and industry. He suggested that instead o: attempting to find relief work ir. country districts the Governmen should bring to this country experts tc teach “the forgotten thousands” suitable industries, thus enabling the Do minion to begin to catch up with tht rest of the world and give much-needoc hope and ambition to many people anc their dependents.