PROSPERITY OF THE DOMINION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3313, 12 September 1917, Page 39

PROSPERITY OF THE DOMINION.

riUMARY AND SECONDARY INDUSTRIES. A WORD ON THE FUTURE. Mr J. A. Frostick, who was the Cantorbury Commiysioner on tho National Efficiency Board, has made tho following interesting statement on tho dominion's prosperity, and tho relation of our primary and secondary industries thereto :

The basis of national prosperity as it applies to any country can be determined only by its productivity created by the industries of its people, Tho permanent prosperity of a country can be best insured by the variety of its productions. History and experience have demonstrated that no country that neglected the cultivation and development of its industrial lifo, especially in regard to tho utilisation of its indigenous raw materials, was ever permanently successful. A good deal of misapprehension has arisen with regard to the relative value in New Zealand of the agricultural and pastoral industries on the one hand and the secondary or manufacturing industries on the other. Whilst recognising the enormous value to the country of its primary products, the great value of its manufacturing industries, upon which more than half the community aro dependent, must not be the agricultural and pastoral industries are, so to speak, tho backbone of our country, and without them tho country would bo in a very poor way; but the backbone docs not represent tho entire body, and, while that part of the body is indispensable, it would be useless in itself without tho other functional parts, which make a complete whole. Tho comparisons made are not intended in the slightest degree to disparage the efforts of those engaged in the agricultural and pastoral industry—quite tho contrary. Thero is room for great expansion, and everything that has been provided for the benefit and assistance of this section of our national activity should not only be maintained, but improved and rendered more perfect. There is ample evidence that this is possible, and no effort should be spared by tho community, through the Government of the country, to bring the agricultural and pastoral products up to the highest point of efficiency.

THE INTERESTS OF AGRICULTURE

It was quite natural that an industry so especially blessed by nature and favoured by legislation should always be prominent in the minds of the people. It has its particular Cabinet Minister; its own Government organisation; a department, according to the Government description, mainly concerned in advancing the interests of agriculture ; to promote the best interests of this part of our national life, 400 Government officers exist, and six experimental farms are worked under the control of Government officials. There is an honorary "Board of Agriculture consisting of not less than 12 persons, specially appointed to advise _ the Minister on matters pertaining to agriculture.

All this is good, and in the national interest; the public as a whole is willing that the existing conditions should bo continued and improved wherever necessary so that the farmer may have his soil analysed, seeds examined, and tested, the milk from the contested, all diseases of plants or animals described and prescribed for. All these things and more at the country's expense, and no one raises any objection to this. Preferential treatment is also given to this industry under the railway service, and in order that uniformity in quality may be maintained, to the credit of the county, the products are graded by the Agricultural Department to ensure good marketing, and what is equally right, a Customs tariff exists so that nearly all farm products are afforded reasonable protection. Although in tho opinion of those most qualified to form a judgment, improvements could be effected in the Agricultural Department, yet nothing which has been instituted is wrong in principle, neither should any of the privileges in this industry be withdrawn or restricted. CENSUS FIGURES. According to the last census figures avail-" able, the actual number of people in this country who create wealth is 264,136, of which 119,025 are engaged in the agricultural and pastoral industries, or 10.91 per cent, of the population. Other producers of wealth number 154,111, or 15.29 per cent, of tne population. In addition to this there are engaged in professional, domestic, property, and finance, trade, shopkeeping, storage, transport and communication, and indefinite occupations 189.981. or 18.85 per cent, of tho population. This portion of the population is not as actual producers of wealth, and there arc 554.351 classed as non-breadwinners, who amount to 54.95 per cent, of the population. ' In 1911, the proportion of bread-winners per cent, of total population was engaged in:— _ Per cent, of popular tion. I'ersons. Actively and directly employed in agricultural work 6-43 Actively and directly employed In pastoral work 6.48 Total 10.01 110,025 Actively and directly employed In industrial work 13.25 133,555 Other producers actively engaged, including mining, etc 2.04 20,55 G Total 26.20 264,136 Total wealth producers directly employed 26-1,136 Contingent upon there was a community consisting of— Professional 3.25 32,716 Domestic 4.39 41,267 Property finance 0.09 9,940 Trade (shop) 5.45 54,926 Storage 0.09 896 Transportation and. communication 3.61 36,433 Indefinite 1-07 10,803 18.85 189,981 Non-bread winners 54.95 554,351 100.00 744.332 1,008,468 On this basis every bread-winner on the averago represents 3,818 of population ; hence agricultural and pastoral earners represent 420,075 of the population. Industrial earners 50.1.912 Other producers, etc 78,481 Total population—men, women, and children 1, 005,463

SECONDARY INDUSTRIES. With regard to what arc known as the secondary industries these have to be created by man, lint unfortunately for this country in tho past, those industries have not received the full measure of support from tho Legislature to which they are entitled. Still, notwithstanding this disadvantage there are 133,555 persons actively and directly employed therein as against 110,025 employed in tho agricultural and pastoral industries. The mining industries, etc., are responsible for the active and direct employment of 20,556 persons. Taking those actively employed in both classes, the percentage that these bear to tho population, and dividing the rest of the community, consisting of professional, domestic, property, and finance, trade_ in all forms, transport, communication, indefinite employment, and non-breadwinners, we arrive at the following facts: — Agricultural and pastoral 420,075 Industrial 509,913 Other actual producers, etc 78,491 Population men, women, and children total 1,005,4G8 Or viewed front another point:— Persona directly or indirectly dependent upon, other than in agricultural or pastoral 883,393 Those dependent upon in agricultural and pastoral interests 420,075 Persons 108,31* It will therefore bo eeeu that there Uan excess of 168,318 persons dependent in industries which are separate and distinct from agricultural and pastoral. A PRESSING PROBLEM. The problem which lies immediately before this country is " How can the country" best deal with these 588,395 persons, or more than half the entire population, and how much can be accomplished if the Legislature gave to this, the greater half of its population, a Government department and organisation to itself, under a Minister of Industries, who would protect and further this great interest:" This is one of the pressing problems now before us as a nation, for in proportion as New Zealand industries aro and new industries established, so profit--able and continuous employment will be found, not only for the present popu« lation, but for that portion of our own' population at present at war, and also will; provide for thousands of other people of British origin who should be encouraged to settle in this the most delightful and favoured country under the Crown. FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS.

The financial obligations resting upon the' people of this country cannot be put aside. They must be met in full by those who possess the means to do so. If the: secondary industries fail through lack of. support, and that portion of the population is no longer able to contribute it* % proper quota of the necessary taxation. then ; the full burden of taxation must fall upon; those engaged in the production of primary products. The cultivation of existing and : the development of new bo undertaken without in any way those engaged in primary production, but; would on the contrary increase the therefor. The economic side of the qucs-' fcion is perfectly clear—distribute tho national burden upon the greatest possible, number; promote the best interests of everyv form of production, so that not only shall those responsible for agricultural and pastoral development bo prosperous and able to pay their fair share of taxation, but thai'the larger portion of the population, en-; gaged in the secondary industries, may be. so encouraged and assisted as to become"' prosperous and equally able to boar their share of the country's burden.

Any policy which tends to protect either of these important sources of production with more or less disregard to the other is opposed to the national interest. The Parliament of this country should, therefore, without delay, take such steps as may be necessary to create an additional portfolio—a Minister of Industries whose, whole time shall be devoted to assisting the development of industries in exactly the way and for the same reason that the Minister of Agriculture works on behalf of his department.