INDUSTRIAL POLICY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22226, 28 September 1935, Page 18

INDUSTRIAL POLICY

INCREASING EFFICIENCY MANUFACTURERS' SCHEME CO-ORDINATION FACILITIES A re-statement of its request to the Government early this year for legislation for the co-ordination of industrial units has been issued by the Now Zealand Manufacturers' Federation. In its request tho federation sought the establishment of a permanent manufacturing industries commission consisting of four members—the Minister as chairman, and threo other members, two of whom, including the deputy-chairman, would bo nominated by tho manufacturers. The functions of the commission would ho:— (a) To watch over and study continuously tho condition, needs and potential development of manufacturing industries, and to make recommendations thereon, where necessary, both to tho industries and to tho Government. - • (b) To provido facilities for • the working out of co-ordination agreements with a view to eliminating uneconomic or otherwise undesirable conditions, and to promoting tho efficiency and success of such industries. (c) To consider any . scheme under the heading (b)-~ aa'-niight be agreed upon-by "not less than two-thirds of the industry concerned. If satisfied that the agreement was not contrary to tho public interest, to approve such an agreement officially, whereupon it would becomo legally binding upon all units of the industry. It was regarded as vital to the spirit of tho policy that there should be no suggestion of anything in tho nature of political or departmental dictation or control. Tho essence of tho policy was that industries, with tho assistance of tho commission if desired, should study their own problems and work out means of effecting imj provemcnts. It was a measure to facilitate co-ordination based on self-govern-ment, not bureaucratic control. The commission as proposed would be equally representative of tho public interest and of tho industrial viewpoint. Its duty in considering proposed coordination schemes would be as much to safeguard fully the interests of the public as to increase the efficiency and promote the well-being of industries. It was emphasised that tho following were only examples of some of the types of co-ordination which should be considered: —Standards of quality, specialisation, rationalisation, territorial marketing, research and investigation, labour conditions, trading conditions, special plant or process, obsolescent and surplus plant, excessive factories and plant, supply uid training of skilled labour, standardisation, and agreement!? with and undertakings to the Government. It was not suggested that these types were applicable or desirable in every industry. The question of which, if any, of these measures was desirable in any particular section of industry would rest with tho industry itself, in consultation with and subject to the approval of the commission.