DOMINION’S NEED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23435, 25 February 1938, Page 6

DOMINION’S NEED

MORE SECONDARY INDUSTRIES CRITICAL STAGE REACHED “ THE FORGOTTEN THOUSANDS ” (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, Feb. 24. “ I firmly believe that we in New Zealand have reached a critical stage in our development, and that our population has outgrown the capacity of our primary industries to maintain it, unless a larger portion of the population is enabled to work for its support,” said Mr W. R. Fee, president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, at the annual meeting to-day. “ Until a solution is found, there can be no hope for the permanent employment of many thousands of our so-called surplus population, and the recommencement of migration to this country in existing circumstances would be unwise in the extreme,” Mr Fee added. Mr Fee criticised the Government’s tendency to neglect the development of secondary industries as a means of helping the unemployed. It was to be regretted that the Government had pursued its policy of nationalisation relentlessly, without due regard to the welfare of business and industry. He suggested that, instead of attempting to find relief work in country districts, the Government should bring to this country experts to teach “ the forgotten thousands ” suitable industries, thus enabling the Dominion to begin to catch up with the rest of the world and give much-needed hope and ambition to many people and their dependents.