LABOUR CABINET

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 26 November 1938, Page 9

LABOUR CABINET

COMMENT on internal DIFFICULTIES

MANUFACTURERS not CONCERNED

“Whatever internal difficulties the Labour Party may or may not be having is no concern of my association, and we wish definitely to be dissociated from the article quoted in The Dominion’ on Friday, under the heading 'Labour Cabinet,’ ” said the president of the Wellington Manufacturers’ Association, Mr H. H. Higgins, yesterday. “The article contained extensive extracts from opinions expressed editorially by the ‘New Zealand National Review,’ and the fact was mentioned that incorporated with the ‘National Review’ is the ‘New Zealand Manufacturer.’ On several occasions in the past it has been necessary to draw attention to the fact that the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation and affiliated associations are not in any way responsible for views or political opinions voiced- in the ‘New Zealand National Review’ outside the official manufacturers' section. Until recently an intimation to that effect appeared at the head of the manufacturers’ section of the ‘Review.’ Unfortunately, this disclaimer appears to be omitted from the November issue from which your article is quotei “There is one section of the article, however, with which we are in full agreement, wherein the opinion is expressed that the problems and views of manufacturers call for united rather than party or controversial treatment, ahd that in a ledsoftable approach to them Mr Savage may rely for the support of every reasonable section of the community.

While manufacturers appreciate the Prime Minister's intimation that the Government intends taking steps to divert men from public works into comhiercial production, it is felt that the onus should not be on the private employer but that the initiative should be taken by the Government to see that men who could, or should, be employed in industry are not retained on public Works. This comment has particular reference to the retention of trained men and skilled hands on public works job* at a time when industry generally needs all the skilled labour available."