INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 841, 9 December 1929, Page 8

INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS

reform party urges DEVELOPMENT NEED FOR POLICY From Our Resident Reporter WELLINGTON, Saturday. The need for the development of New Zealand’s manufacturing in. dustries was stressed at a meeting of the Wellington division of the Reform Party held here last evening. The meeting was presided over by the Hon. T. Shailer Weston, M.L.C, and a motion on industrial progress was moved by Mr. C. A. L. Treadwell as follows: That the Wellington division of the Reform Party, recognising that the welfare of the country materially depends on peace and progress in its industries, affirms the principle that it is essentially part of the Re. form Party’s platform that the in. dustrial side of the country's progress shalk receive the constant attention and assistance of the Government. AN UNFORTUNATE TERM A letter from Mr. Harold F. Johnston. Reform candidate for Hutt, was read, in which the candidate said that he took the view that the Dominion’s progress now depended upon industrial development. By that he meant the encouragement of what were called secondary industries, v*fi c ll should receive as much attention and assistance as laud settlement. He suggested that the’ term “secondary? should be dropped. In the past the term might have been useful to indi. cate the importance of agricultural de* velopment, but nowadays the term was unfortunate, in so far as many people inferred from its use that the industries so called were of secondary and not of first importance. “Unless our industries are increased and expanded, so as to absorb an in. creasing number of young men, it appears to me the problem of unemploy, ment will grow more and more difficult to solve,” said the letter. “The land cannot absorb the many thousands who by temperament or otherwise are unfitted to make a success ot an agricultural or pastoral life. Industrial progress is impossible without the goodwill of Labour, and I find that both the Labour policy and Labour ethics are at the present time an absolute bar. Until Labour changes its policy I can see no hope for progress.” “GET TOGETHER” “Reform should let the people know that the party stood for a ‘get together’ policy,” concluded Mr. Johnston. He paid tribue to the assistance given him in the Hutt campaign by the Junior Reform League. The motion was carried. Mr. Treadwell said that the party was proud of the fight Mr. Johnston was putting tip, an opinion that was endorsed by Mr. E. A. James, recently retired Dominion secretary of the party, who said that never had there been a candidate who was a more able exponent of the policy of the Reform Party.