EFFICIENCY BILL.

Wairarapa Age, 7 October 1936, Page 6

EFFICIENCY BILL.

A MANUFACTURER’S VIEW. PROGRESS IN ORGANISATION ESSENTIAL. WELLINGTON, October 6. Commenting on the several requests from chambers of commerce that the Industrial Efficiency Bill should be held over Mr. lan Matheson, president of the Wellington Manufacturers’ Association, said to-day that this attitude did not surprise him as much as might be expected. “For at least two years the manufacturers have been applying themselves to find a solution of some of the difficulties with which they are faced. I view the Bill as a genuine and honest attempt to provide the means of dealing with many of those difficulties, such as overlapping of plant and services, and competition from small manufacturing units where the conditions of employment are not fully controlled. It must be recognised that to deal with these and other problems so as to achieve a greater measure of efficiency in industry, further organisation is necessary. The Industrial Efficiency Bill is a further step in the organisation of our society, and should be regarded as such.

“It seems to be purely a matter of history that every attempt at further organisation throughout the ages has been attacked by certain elements of the public, and supported by others. Without for one instant suggesting that every attempt at further organisation has been along the line of progress, it is nevertheless significant that the same element in society usually aligns itself against progressive organisation.

“Having studied the points dealt with in the Bill for at least two years, the Wellington manufacturers are of the opinion that this further step in organisation of society is a progressive one, and for this reason the policy in the Bill has their support, although there are undoubtedly one or two points which require adjustment so as to provide legal safeguards. These could quite easily be provided without in any way interfering with the general policy set out in the Pill.

“I am one of those who believe it would be just as much a tragedy to stop progressive organisation at this stage of civilisation as it would have been to have stopped it 200 years ago, or at any other stage. In fact, it is common thought to view some peoples of the world as being 200 or 300 years behind the times in the organisation of their society.’’