WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21098, 4 February 1932, Page 12

WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE.

Sir, —Your correspondent Mr. H. B. McKerrow in his answer to riiy letter on tho above subject, when rushing to condemn, took little thought to grasp my proposal. My contention, briefly stated, was that we have an army of about fifty thousand unemployed and that under present conditions it was neither possible nor desirable to greatl.V extend our primary industries to absorb them, but that a great national secondary industry backed by capitalists, woikeis, aiid Government working in conjunction on co-operative lines, might solve the problem and bring back prosperity to our country. I never suggested as Mr. McKerrow states that the Government should run the industry, paying the present award wages. Such a proposal would bo manifestly absurd. Neither did I advocate a" general manufacture of woollen goods, being fully cognisant of the difficulties in the way. But I hold that wo have already demonstrated that wo can produce a superfine rug and blanket that commands admiration wherever shown, and properly handled should command an unlimited sale in the oversea markets of the world. Under this scheme, a true co-operative effort would be established. The minimum living wage equivalent to the present dole should be paid to each worker, but a full-time week should lie worked by all. Thus the guaranteed wage here would perhaps bo less than paid to average European factory labour, but our factory worker, would have the right to a share in the profits of the enterprise and surety the output would show a market value above tho cost outlined. This sharing of profits would encourage and stimulate the workers to put their best into the business and even if at the worst, at first, the scheme was not quite self-supporting, would it not be pieferable for tho country to subsidise a proposal such as this which would create a permanent industry and wipe out our unemployed, rather than perpetuate our present wasteful and uneconomic system of relieving ynemploynient ? Mr. McKerrow says that we must abandon the myth that secondary industries can be made to pay in a country with such a small population as New Zealand has for consumers. He is possibly right, there, but with the genuine products behind us and with tho bold slogan before us, " New Zealand Blankets and Hugs the Best in (he World," I am convinced a market overseas would open out to us. Although Mr. McKerrow is pessimistic over our secondary industries, he has a touching confidence in primary production, the worst paid labour the world over. 1 would ask my critic to point to any primary industry in New Zealand that is paying out of profits t.) the workers engaged five shillings a day. If, so I and thousands of other farmers would be glad to hear of it. J. G. Browne..