F.F. Views Refuted By Manufacturers

Northern Advocate, 25 August 1948, Page 4

F.F. Views Refuted By Manufacturers

AUCKLAND, Wed. (P.A.) —“Such remarks as are attributed to Mr W. N. Perry. Dominion president of Federated Farmers, suggesting that ‘God never intended New Zeala'nd to be a manufacturing country,’ and that we should import all our finished goods from Britain, prompts an immediate reply,” said Mr S. Howard Hunter, president of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation.

What Mr Perry has said must arouse every manufacturer in this country, and jve hope it does not represent the considered opinion of his organisation.

“Let it be said that New Zealand is far from being predominantly a manufacturing country our exports prove the fact of our great agricultural development. “However, it must be clear that industrial expansion within New Zealand has assisted materially in the preservation of living standards by virtue of the contribution we have made toward full employment of the people and the supply of high-standard consumer goods. FARMERS’ PART REALISED

“As manufacturers, we pay full tribute to the primary producers of New! Zealand and have always done so, without reservation. “We realise that it is mainly throughthe efforts of farmers that our overseas credits are created.

“We realise, too, that not only to the farmers but also to the country, we owe the obligation of seeing that the j portion of overseas funds allocated to I us for the purchase of our raw mater- I ials should be wisely spent and faith-* fully utilised. “We suggest that the living stan- j dards of this country will be the best ; protected by maximum production, not I only on farms, but also in factories — farmers and manufacturers constitute in their respective spheres the combined productive force.

COMMON OBJECTIVE "We are indeed related in the common objective of production and such remarks made by Mr Perry on the efficiency of New Zealand industry are ill-considered and regrettable, and do not inspire cooperation where much is needed. “The Manufacturers’ Federation doesn’t stand for the protection of inefficient industries.

“As evidence of this I would remind Mr Perry that we have repeatedly pressed the Government to appoint a completely independent tariff commission charged with the responsibility of determining, without bias, what industries should, or should not. be encouraged with those of a similar class in other parts of the Empire.”