"FIRST THINGS FIRST"

Taranaki Daily News, 2 December 1938, Page 6

"FIRST THINGS FIRST"

PRIMARY PRODUCTION

CONCENTRATION DESIRED

A suggestlon that New Zealand should concentrate on the further developmenl of primary industries instead of embarking on the establishment of secondary industries and that most of.the money spent on unproductive public works should be diverted.to the subsidising of farm labour for that purpose was made last night to the council of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce at its meeting at New Plymouth in a letter from Mr. *J. O. Bennett, a former member of the council. "The present economic state of the Dominion," said Mr. Bennett, "is causing ccnsiderable concern to thinking people. After readlng the report in the local papers of an interview with the Prime Minister I was struck by the fact that the suggestion is to bring more people to New Zealand to establish secondary industries. ... 1 have always understood that New Zealand was a first-class primary producing country, so why not concentrate on the industry which is already well established and develop it to its utmost. "My suggestion would be to divert the greater proportion of the money now being spent on public works, for which we are getting no direct return, to subsidising farm labour to the extent of offering the same wages and hours as are now being offered on public works. We would then get men back on the land, with a consequent ihcrease in production for export, which after all is the basis of our national income. If this was carried out there would be no need for us to experiment with additional secondary industries, because we would have sufficient funds from our exports to buy our requirements from the people who buy our produce. "We must realise that if we expect to develop overseas markets for our primary produce we must expect to give something in return; that is, purchase th«« goods our customers produce and not go into competition with them and build tariff walls around ourselves and incidnntally pay more for the goods produced on a smaller scale in our small country than we could import them for." "That is a very nice letter," said Mr. E. C. Hayton, president. "The question is, should we approve it and take some action?" * Mr. J. R. Cruickshank: That is the point. What can we do? A member: Refer it to Mr. Frost. It was decided to thank Mr. Bennett for his letter and in approving the sentiments to express the hope that something might be done to bring the matter to the nctice of the proper authorities.