PRIMARY AND SECONDARY INDUSTRIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21906, 18 March 1933, Page 5

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY INDUSTRIES

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —Several letters have appeared at various times in the newspapers, probably from farmers or farmers' agents, . condemning the secondary industries of New Zealand, and stating that it would be better to abolish them. I can only say that such people are suffering from a swelled head and a sense of their own selfish importance. The secondary industries of New Zealand. have now been in operation for many years and have been a means of providing employment for many men and women, boys and girls in our towns and cities, and in many cases we can, and do, manufacture articles which are equal to any of those imported, as has already been proved by our success at various exhibitions throughout the world. The primary industries of New Zealand are certainly much larger, but they are not in a position of employing all our population. Therefore it is evident that we must have secondary industries to absorb those who require employment, i A correspondent who calls himself " Advocate" states that only 10 per cent, of the produce of the farms is consumed locally, and that 90 per cent, is exported. I can only say that he evidently, does not know what he is writing about, as the actual position is that 60 per cent, of the farmers' produce of New Zealand is consumed locally and 40 per cent, is exported, as the following figures taken from an. Official Year Book will show: — Consumed

These figures are from the Government Official Year Book for 1913—the year before the World War —but they will serve to show that the local consumption for food is the best market the farmers of New Zealand have, and they will be wise to pull with the townspeople, so as to conserve that market to the best of their ability.^—l am, etc., R. Walker. Bridgman street, March 17.

locally. Exported. Sheep .. .. 3,306,588 2,208,330 Lambs 2,956,249 Cattle .. . *260,880 Pigs .. ., nil Poultry ., nil Ducks nil Honey +55,770 Wool Butter .. .. *194,439 *378,117 Cheese .. .. .. +29,166 +577,070 *Cwt. fib.