DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRIES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 11 April 1934, Page 7

DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRIES

VIEWS OF LABOUR LEADERS THE UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM Some of the members of the Parliamentary Labour parly who have been attending the annual conference of the New Zealand Labour party at Christchurch, visited the Woolston Tanneries and were shown over the works by Mr C. M. Ollivier, reports the “Press.”

The members of the party were Alessrs AL J. Savage, F. Langstone, R. Semple, and R. AlcKeen, and after the inspection they addressed the employees. Air Savage said that nowadays most countries produced nearly all the things the people needed, and therefore tho Labour party held that if New Zealand could not sell her goods overseas she must sell them within the Dominion. The Labour party intended to find out for itself what was made and what could he made in New Zealand, and he said that the time was opportune for the development of the homo market. The Labour party would endeavour to build New Zealand on its national resources, on tho labour obtainable in tho Dominion, and on the labour which could he brought in. The party was not agreeable to a lowering of the standard of living, and at- the first opportunity would see that there was further development of the secondary industries.

Ah Langstone said that the standard of living in New Zealand could no longer he linked with that of any other country. In the development of secondary industries lay the greatest chance of solving the unemployment problem. “The .Minister of Alines,” lie said, “has refused to allow any more coalmines to lie opened on account of overproduction. 011 the other hand, he says that more men must go on the land, which is only making the farming community more insolvent.” Air Semple said it was time New Zealand put her house in order. They must make the Dominion their workshop. They could develop their coalmines. Now Zealand coal had been proved to he 18 per cent, superior to any other coal in the world for the production of oil, yet New Zealand snont £3.500.000 a vnur on fuel oils, and of that amount £2.500.000 went to foreign countries. TTo hoped that before the year was out. the people would have a ch nnen of expressing their opinions through the ballot-box, on the present Government’s policy of commcrcfial suicide.

Air AlcKeen dealt specially with the problem of finding employment. for voting people, and lie said that the only opportunity for young people was in the secondary industries