CABINET’S PLAN TO AID INDUSTRY.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 144, 19 June 1931, Page 8

CABINET’S PLAN TO AID INDUSTRY.

STIMULATING DEMAND FOR DOMINION GOODS. (Special to the “ Star.”) WELLINGTON, June 19. The Hon. S. G. Smith, Minister of Labour (who is chairman of the Unemployment Board), to-day made a statement concerning the coming campaign on behalf of New Zealand-made goods. “ The manufacturing industries of the Dominion,” said the Minister, “ are experiencing the full effects of the depression in trade, and the consequent lack of sales has resulted in the services of many of the employees being dispensed with. The progressive increase in the number of unemployed is largely due to the tremendous decline in the business transacted by these industries, and in an endeavour to reawaken public interest in locally-made products, and with the primary object of enabling the employees to get back to their special jobs, the Unemployment Board has recommended to tfie Government the advisability of instituting a publicity campaign to stimulate a defor all New Zealand-made goods. This interest in industrial progress is an integral part, of the Unemployment Board s functions, and the Government cordially endorsed the recommendation. “ The question of financing the campaign, which is estimated to cost £I2OO, was decided by the board agreeing to make available a sum of £BOO, on condition that the Manufacturers’ Association (the members of which would benefit indirectly), contributed one-third (£400) of the total. The Chief Concern. “ This is not in any sense a grant to the Manufacturers’ Association, any more than the Unemployment Board’s subsidy under No. 2 scheme was a grant to householders, or the subsidy under schemes 4A and 4B was a grant to farmers. The board’s chief concern in these cases was to provide openings for unemployed men, and not to benefit the farmers. The campaign in the interests. of the secondary industries is primarily a campaign to re-absorb the workers in those industries. The Government will handle both the funds and the campaign, through the Industries, Commerce and Publicity Department. “ Exception has been taken to the Unemployment Board’s inauguration of this campaign, on the ground that it is a diversion of the funds for the benefit of a particular clas-* but no such charge was made when the board allocated and expended approximately £70,000 apparently in the interests of the primary industries, but primarily to help the unemployed. “If by this means the demand for New Zealand-made goods can be stimulated and thousands of unemployed men and women and boys and girls are enabled to resume their former occupations, the beneficial effects of their employment will inevitably spread to many other branches of trade and commerce. Such a consummation is most devoutly to .be wished, and under the circumstances, it is expected that the campaign will be launched not only with the goodwill, but with the practical help of every section of the community.” EDUCATION BOARD GIVES £2O FOR RELIEF FUNDS. The Canterbury Education Board decided to-day to grant £2O towards the unemployment funds. Ten pounds of this amount will be devoted to furthering the “ pound ” scheme in Christchurch, and the balance will be divided among the rest of the board’s area, covering Canterbury and Westland. When the matter was discussed by the board to-day the question was raised as to the board’s legal power to vote money for such a purpose. DRIVERS’ UNION URGES SHORTER WORKING WEEK A shorter working week and a payment of an unemployment tax on a graduated scale are two suggestions urged by the Canterbury Drivers’ Union in a letter written to the Minister of Labour (the Hon. S. G. Smith). The letter has been written in answer to one received from the Minister regarding the claim made by the union that the system of unemployment relief under the No. 5 scheme was unfair to the man who had saved money. The letter. stresses the fact that “as a country New Zealand is prosperous, and should be able to provide employment for all its citizens. There were many people well able to contribute substantial amounts to an unemployment fund, and the letter suggested that these people should be taxed more than they were at present, on a graduated scale, and the money used to provide useful and productive work at rates of pay equal to a decent living standard. The time also was ripe, the letter urged, for a shorter working week tobe introduced, thus giving work to a larger number of men.