COUNTRY HELPED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17951, 1 December 1932, Page 11

COUNTRY HELPED

MANUFACTURERS’ PART PRESIDENT’S REVIEW That many New Zealand manufacturing industries had been able to maintain partial to full production, preserving the employment of a large section of the workers, keeping money in circulation, and meeting the market demand for necessary nianufactured goods, and that they had proved a real standby to the people of the Dominion, was maintained by Mr. J. Abel, president, at the annual meeting of the Wellington Manufacturers’ Association. In reviewing the year’s work, the president said the period had 'been one of great difficulty and anxiety to manufacturers, as to all other sections of the .community. Nevertheless, it was fortunate that New Zealand manufacturing industries had been built up to .the extent they had, for it could 1 not be doubted that, without such: industries, the effects of the fall in export prices would have been felt eveii more severely than •had been the case. The value of exports had declined from £56,000,000 in •the year 1928 to £32,000,000 during tlio .12 months < ndpd June, 1932,- and there had been a consequent unavoidable decline in imports from £45.000,000 down to £25,000,000. The results of such a fall in imports, had there been no manufacturing industries in New Zealand, would have been absolutely disastrous. There was another difficult year ahead of New Zealand, Mr. Abel concluded, j but by tackling the problems in a, big Way, in friendly co-operation with other interests,_ in a spirit of give-and-take, and looking nt every question from a truly national standpoint, they would be able to surmount the difficulties and solve fheir problems.