ENCOURAGING INDUSTRY

Taranaki Daily News, 22 May 1934, Page 9

ENCOURAGING INDUSTRY

EFFORTS OF GOVERNMENT SUMMARY OF PRIME MINISTER. ADDRESS BEFORE ROTARY CLUB. APPEAL FOR CONSIDERED PLAN. A comprehensive summary of major New Zealand industries was given by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, to the New Plymouth Rotary Club yesterday. District-Governor T. C. List presided. The club gave Mr. Forbes a rousing welcome. Introducing Mr. Forbes the chairman said that when he last visited England it had been a great pleasure to see what a good impression Mr. Forbes had made on the hearts and minds of the people. He could assure Mr. Forbes that Rotary’s one idea was to be helpful to the powers. The situation was such that old ideas were changing and that a long view had to be taken. What was wanted was some comprehensive scheme.

It had been, said that if all the unemployment funds raised in Taranaki were expended in Taranaki under the supervision of practical men they could find work for every willing worker in the province, added Mr. List. Work had been found in the past through money raised by loan; some form of work had to be found for these men. He hoped the Government would give them some hope of a permanent solution by which the unemployed could be got back into permanent work. It was to survey the position that the Rotary Club had set up its committee, which had presented what careful perusal showed to be a constructive interim report at the last conference. That committee was still working. The time had come for the Government to' take action along well-con-sidered lines.

INSPIRATION IN TARANAKI. • • Mr. Forbes said that in his visit to Taranaki he had received great inspiration to find all were far from downhearted, that everyone was facing the situation cheerfully and energetically, that the farmers were “boxing” on and making every effort to improve the quality of the produce exported from the province, tlfet factory directorates and managers were also working towards the same end, and that the commercial community and civic authorities were doing their best to co-operate with farming and other interests with a view to improving the conditions and prosperity of the whole district and of the Dominion. With this spirit of co-operation and helpfulness to the Government they could face the situation hopefully and confidently. As world conditions improved—and there were signs of such an improvement—New Zealand would be in the van and reap more quickly all the benefits which must come.

He had come to see and discuss at first hand the position of industries in the district because the tvhole welfare of New Zealand depended on the pro .'■ferity and wellbeing of both present and potential industries. It had been both an interest and a pleasure to see such Taranaki industries as the Rennet Company at Eltham, the casein factory at Midhirst and the New Plymouth oil venture. The next day he . hoped to see the new textile industry at Foxton. With regard to meat and wool happily there had been an improvement in the situation. It was particularly gratifying that pork exports had shown such a wonderful increase and that farmers were showing sound knowledge of those problems of feeding and management which were the foundation of economic success.

With regard to wool, there had been a truly wonderful recovery in prices this year, particularly of South Island finer halfbred wools. They still needed to watch the situation carefully from the point of view of quality, and there should be no relaxing of efforts. The Government had recently promoted better co-operation with . manufacturers in research on utilisation of wool, and this, together with every effort in New Zealand, was all the more necessary because of possible competition of artificial substitutes.

It was pleasing to note that, particularly when pig products were taken into account, the total net income from the dairy industry had, in spite of the low prices, shown a substantial annual increase since 1931. In 1931-32 the return from actual dairy produce was £10,640,000, and in 1932-33 £11,650,000, increased production having compensated for the lower price.