WORKERS' OUTPUT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23082, 6 July 1938, Page 15

WORKERS' OUTPUT

DOMINION HANDICAP AUSTRALIAN EXAMPLE SIR W. HUNT IMPRESSED INDUSTRY ENCOURAGED [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON. Tuesday On his return from Australia to-day, Sir William Hunt said he was impressed with what he described as the much greater output obtained from much of the unionised labour in Australia than from similar labour in New Zealand. "A largo concern told me," he said, "that they were now erecting a building to cost about £IOO,OOO in New Zealand and a much larger building to cost about £250,000 in Australia. The New Zealand contractors required 18 months to erect their building, while the much larger building in Australia was to bo erected in eight months. "The output of New Zealand waterside workers is notorious," Sir William continued. "The cost and time occupied in handling cargo in New Zealand is more than double that of similar work in Australia. The real cost in New Zealand is much more than double, because in addition to the direct cost there is tho added indirect cost through loss of time by ships and the consequent extra wharfage accommodation required in New Zealand to allow for the slow turn-round of ships. Tribute to Our Farmers

"A fairly extensive tour through the farming districts of New South Wales and Victoria, however, convinced me that on the average our New Zealand farmers are doing their work quite as well as, and in many cases better than, Australian farmers." One of the impressions Sir William gained was the manner in which trade and industry are encoiwagcd in Australia and hindered in New Zealand. When he told Australians that land and income tax combined took approximately 10s in the pound they won-

tiered why people continued to invest in such enterprises, and added that with that burden New Zealand industry could never compete with Australian. He expressed tlie view that Australia was going to be a much more dangerous competitor with New Zealand in her main exports of dairy produce and lamb than the Commonwealth had been in the past. Assisting Production The top-dressing of pastures, which wo had been doing in New Zealand lor years and which had been the main cause of the increase in dairy produce and lamb production, was just commencing in Australia. In Victoria five years ago only 15 per cent of the fertiliser used was applied as top-dressing of grass, the remainder being for wheat and other crops. This year 60 per cent was to top-dress grass and 40 per cent for crops. Victoria alone this year was importing more phosphate rock than the whole of New Zealand. The farming industry in Australia got more State assistance than it. did in New Zealand. The Government paid a subsidy of 10s a ton on all fertilisers for top-dress-ing grass. Local consumers of butter paid a substantially higher price than the world parity for butter in order to provide a fund to subsidise butter production. The State Government of New South Wales recently helped the Royal Agricultural Society there to the extent of some £60,000 to erect buildings on the showground.