ALTERED OUTLOOK

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 1 April 1936, Page 4

ALTERED OUTLOOK

DUE TO CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT

MANUFACTURERS’. PROBLEMS

United Press Association)

WELLINGTON, This Day. “The change of Government has resulted in a considerably altered outlook as far as manufacturing in New Zealand is concerned,” commented the president of the Wellington Manufacturers’ Association, Mr 1. Matheson, in a half-yearly review given at a meeting of the association last night. “Whether one agrees or disagrees with the policy of the present Government, the implementing of that policy must of necessity throw a great deal of additional work on the Manufacturers’ Association and the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation " -

After referring to the 40-hour week question, as reported elsewhere, Mr Matheson said another problem ahead of manufacturers was the co-ordination or rationalisation of industry. “The Government has already intimated its intention of introducing an Industrial Efficiency Bill,” he said. “The details of this Bill have not yet been finalised, but we know enough of the Government’s intentions to realise that a considerable strength and development of our organisation is necessary if we are satisfactorily to co-operate with the Government in its endeavour to place New Zealand’s manufacturing industries on a sounder economic basis.

“Two steps have been taken by your executive toward this end. The first step is to organise within the association trade groups to deal with the specific problems of each particular trade, and to function on behalf of that trade when the Industrial Efficiency Bill becomes law. The second step we have taken is to embark on a definite policy of enlarging our membership, with the real object of being in a position to say to the Government that we represent not 80 but 100 per cent, of the manufacturers in our territory.”