NEW ZEALAND INDUSTRIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17322, 23 May 1918, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND INDUSTRIES

NEED FOR, ORGANISATION. J DEPUTATION TO MR MYERS. 0 • - ® (Pee United Pataa Association.) .1 , , . WELLINGTON, May 22. 4 A deputation from tho Wellington j/rot vmcial Industrial Association waited on Air r jii 13 (^' n ' s ter of Customs and Acting s JjLuijster of Finance) bo-day for the pur--0 pose of placing before him their v cws in 8 connection with the national organisation J ol tlio secondary industries of the country. ' u J vas ur S e d that a special department 0 be set up to doal with, matters relating to industry m exactly the same manner as j 'hat in which the Agricultural Department deals with agricultural matters. The present state of affairs, it was stated, was responsible for important records and data obtiuned from time to time by the industrial associations being deposited in the archives ot the various associations instead of being lilccl in u department With <1 view to their 1 practical utilisation in tho interests of national development and industrial expans 6lon - Another point brought forward by the 1 deputation was tho existing lack of State organisations for bringing together tho representatives of capital and labour. It was. also stated that the present Customs 5 tariff was devised a considerable time ago and was now old in principle. A suggeaa tion was made that a board be set up with tlw object of collating information for re--2 vising tho tariff and bringing tho whole up to date. The establishment of a separate department of industry would be of extreme value in connection with new enterprises, there being at present no official channel through which preliminary inquiries ' could be made and full information secured bearing on the establishment of new busi- ' nees concerns. The association mado a suggestjon that industries and commerce be con- • stituted two distinct departments, and a board of capable business men appointed in an advisory capacity to the Department ' ot Industries to tho end that means be created whereby tho industrial interests of tho dominion might receive full State encouragement and support. L Th° view was further expressed that following unon the cessation of hostilities there was likely to be a considerable influx of immigrants, mainly of the industrial classes, • whoso advent was thought to have no inL considerable effect upon tho trend of industry in tho dominion. In reply, tho • Minister expressed pleasure ' , ln & afforded an opportunity to meet a deputation so fully representative of the . industries. Now Zealand's policy in regard to trade had always been clearly dc- . lined. To put it shortly, that policy had always been the encouragement of our own industries within the dominion and the tottering of economic relationships with the r.inpiie. After the war, of course, the Imperial policy of inter-reciprocal trading now taking definite shape by means of discussions between representatives of the whole Empire at periodica] conferences and Imperial Cabinets would eventually become an established fact, and the course to be followed by New Zealand at that time would only be an extension of that policy of r imperial preference of which she had al- ■ ways been a waxm advocate, with the addii tional proviso that next in preference to our own Empire there should be an effort made to swell tho volume of trade with the gallant Allies who had thrown in their lot with us in this war. The Minister stated that it was quite recognised that the secondary industries of the country were becoming more important with each passing year, and in view of the obligation that lay upon us . to organise and develop the whole of our resources towards meeting the heavy financial responsibilities incurred during the i war it was all the more necessary that the secondary industries of the dominion should receive tho fullest possible consideration. ! Regarding, the inauguration by the State of a modus .operandi whereby capital and " I t b ° Ur ,.™ ight brought into contact with the object of promoting a mutual under- ; stor-ding, Mr Myers drew attention to the fact that thinking men of all classes and all countries were practically unanimous in the opinion that this was on© of those important questions on which the whole future of lairan progress and wedfare might hinge. He assured the deputation that this subject was by no means being overlooked by the Government. So far as the tariff [ was concerned tho Minister pointed out ■ that it was the desire of the Government ' to review this as soon as a favourable opportunity prssented itself. In his opinion 1 tho Industrial Association would be of ; material assistance in this direction, and ho ■ looked forward to availing himself of tie valuable data now being accumulated by its various branches. It was his intention to suggest to the Cabinet the advisability of sotting up a small committee, composed of practical and experienced men, to assist the. Minister of Costoms by visiting tho . various centres and obtaining reliable in- ' formation as a guide towards an amendment and reconstruction of the tariff. Regarding new industries, Mr Myers stated that it was fully reoognised that in future the State would be called upon to accord business enterprise and initiative a fuller measure of support than had hitherto been forthcoming. With respect to scientific research, his colleague the Minister of Internal Affairs was already dealing with this matter. Tho question of immigration was not one coming directly under his jurisdiction, and it involved tho important matter of policy. The Minister stated that he would bring the representations of the deputation under the notice of his colleagues at the first favourable opportunity.