DEVELOPMENT OF MANUFACTURING

Southland Times, Issue 23389, 22 December 1937, Page 4

DEVELOPMENT OF MANUFACTURING

EFFECT ON FARMING COMMUNITY OPPOSITION WITHDRAWN IN AUSTRALIA (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 21. The great future ahead of secondary industries in New Zealand and the building-up of a larger national income and consequently a larger market for both local and imported products were discussed by Mr L. Withall, general secretary of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of Australia, at a luncheon tendered him by the Wellington Manufacturers’ Association. “It is claimed by critics that the development of local manufacturing diminishes trade with customer coun--tries,” said Mr Withall, “but the bald truth is to the contrary. We need not travel far for evidence on that point. In New Zealand imports from Great Britain are £22,000,000 a year, the total imports being £44,000,000. . Australian imports from the United Kingdom are roughly £50,000,000 and the total imports from all countries well over £100,000,000. The iron logic of the position is that the more manufacturing industries are fostered in New Zealand the greater spending population you will have, the larger your national income will become and the bigger the volume of overseas, as well as internal, trade. For many years in Australia the farming community was opposed to a protective industrial policy. Such opposition, however, no longer exists to any significant extent, for the primary producers have seen that a bigger Home market for their products and better prices have followed industrial expansion.” Mr Withall said that public opinion towards secondary industries in New Zealand and the problems of the manufacturer in relation to public opinion were very similar to those that obtained in Australia about 15 years ago, since when notable progress had been made and for that reason he hoped that an executive officer of the association would be able to pay a visit to Australia to study their industries and methods, and particularly the work of the chambers of manufacturers in their relation to the public and their service to the manufacturers.