HELP FOR INDUSTRIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18332, 23 February 1923, Page 9

HELP FOR INDUSTRIES.

IV GOVERNMENT SYMPATHETIC. 1 REDUCTION OF INCOME TAX. W&)?- ■: ■' ! ■ - • ':'-;■: '.:■■■■!:■"•.■.'.:•■,•: f&f IMMIGRATION AND HOUSING. , [BT TELEGRAPH.— ; ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHTJRCH. Thursday. •V'■'•'•'•', Delegates attending the annual ' conference of the Industrial Corporation of the ' pominion made representations to-day to V; the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, Minister for Customs, dealing with several remits 1 which had been carried at the conference. (The Minister attended the conference as ''•■ the representative of the Government. ; In his reply, Mr. Stewart said while coming down to Christchurch from Wei- •:•'*■• lington he had been considering the best means •by ■ which the Government could ■ assist the Dominion's secondary industrial activity, and, by a peculiar coincidence, he had considered that 'the first thing to do would be to reduce the income tax— / one of the first questions which had been brought under his notice by the conference that day. Already they might have seen in the newspapers the "fact that the prime Minister was moving in that direction and had expressed his intention of tasking a substantial reduction in income ; -fcjjt. Whether the tax would be reduced :■»','. to " 3 in the £ or not, he could not state, ?f : ■'■■ but general reduction would very shortly * v \je made. He did not know if this reduci tiin would include a decrease in com■"'.piny' taxation. . •.'.'.V> iOßefeiTing to the question of the establishment of a board of scientific and in- ..'■•'- dustrial research, Mr. Stewart sais the -j>i ; chief obstacle to the formation of such '"- a body would undoubtedly be the state ' v 'of ' the" public finances. If it involved the expenditure of £100,000 he could not be languino when bringing it before Parlia- -. ment. , Mr. J. A. Frostick: It will be spread ;! over a period of five years. -'■"*'•.«• Scientific Research. » Continuing the Minister stated that at 1 the present juncture he was not fully con- ' usant with the subject, but he viewed ■ the setting up of an entirely new organi- " - sation of Government with some doubt. k "'" He had conversed with members of the > staff of the Otago University upon the ' subject, and they had expressed their ■K willingness to help in any research work which should be placed before them. He ; must confess he was rather adverse to ,v the creation of a new departemnt, but if / it were absolutely essential that it should ; '~' be established, it would have to bo considered. .... The suggestions regarding immigration which had been brought forward by dele- . gates were exceedingly feasible, and on the right lines. It was only right that the secondary industries should receive : i as much consideration in this direction "-.:■' as primary industries. With .the subject ':; of immigration, however, arose the ques- . tion of a comprehensive housing scheme to' accommodate immigrants brought to New Zealand. No country had yet satis* factorily solved the housing problem, and ,:- New Zealand was no exception to the ;' rule. . ;:'. Speaking of the condition of affairs as ' ; it existed at present, the Minister stated ...■that if delegates were to examine the ■" complaints which were being brought forward regarding immigrants being out ,\ of employment and unable to secure housv ing accommodation, they would find* that : the majority of these people had come to • the .Dominion on their own responsibility. Unskilled Immigrant*. , -'"'. ■° . ■"■" i ' , , : : Some 97 per cent, of those who came out under the Government scheme were properly housed and had been given permanent employment. He was quite alive • < to the danger of bringing unskilled immigrants to the Dominion. He did not want a large body of people who would be only temporarily employed. If the scheme could be placed in operation in such a manner as to avoid the immigration' of casual workers, there could be no objection to its continuance. , \ On the subject of overseas trade, the Minister said there certainly seemed a splendid opportunity for opening up trade with India, China, and the East generally. However, the shipping problem presented \ a difficulty in this direction. .Referring to the question of sending a delegation to the East in connection with the matter of opening up trade with the various countries f and .the Dominion, he said that that was a matter for the Government and themselves! to consider. France was extremely &n:-.ious that trade relations should : be opened up between her Eastern colonies and the Dominion, but this matter would 1 have to .be considered very carefully because it opened up a question of preference to certain nations, stipulations regarding which existed in several treaties between the Powers having interests in the Pacific. Should we favour trade with the French colonies, other countries would demand similar treatment. • v