EXCHANGE CONTROL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23730, 10 February 1939, Page 10

EXCHANGE CONTROL

INDUSTRIAL EXPANSION DISCUSSED BY LABOUR CAUCUS CAMPAIGN BY GOVERNMENT HOUSING CONSTRUCTION PROBLEM (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Feb. 9. Exchange control and industrial expansion within the Dominion were the two main questions discussed at the caucus of the Parliamentary Labour Party to-day. Discussing the business of the caucus at the conclusion of the proceedings the Prime Minister (Mr Savage) said that exchange control had been discussed in all its ramifications. Everyone was satisfied with the general policy adopted. Related to exchange control was the question of industrial development in New Zealand and this had been discussed. It was the job of the Minister of Industries and Commerce to see that manufacturing industries were developed at such a rate so that they would be able to do as much as possible in the shortest possible time to fill the gap brought about by the limitation of imports. In the campaign in support of New Zealand industry it was intended to have' the assistance of every member of the party in delivering public addresses and in meeting unions. This campaign was to start right away, Mr Savage said. He himself would take an active part in the campaign. He intended to visit factories in order to obtain a better idea of what was really happening. It was not sufficient to talk, it was necessary to be in a position to tell the public actually what nrogress was being made with industrial development. He hoped within the next week or so to complete arrangements for visits to various centres in the Dominion. Housing construction and defence were to be discussed by the caucus to-morrow. Housing construction. Mr Savage said, was one of the biggest problems facing them at the present time. The housing conditions of many people were just scandalous. There was no other word for it. It meant increasing the number of neople in the building trade. Not only was it necessary to train more of their own people as building tradesmen, but in the present circumstances it seemed that skilled men would have to be obtained from abroad. Unless some such action was taken it seemed that it would be quite impossible to do a fraction of what was required, let alone solve the problem.