Essential Labour Is Attracted To Many Uneconomic Industries

Wanganui Chronicle, 17 November 1949, Page 4

Essential Labour Is Attracted To Many Uneconomic Industries

DUNEDIN, Last Night “This is worthy of note in view of the recent statement made by a Dunedin Labour candidate in an election address that local woollen mills lacked initiative in the modernisation of their manufacturing plants, thus accounting tor the shortage on the market or blankets and other lines,” said the chairman of directors, Mr. F. L. Nicolson, at the annual meeting of the Bruce Woollen Mills today. “It would have been more to the point if he had stated that the lack o£ supplies was attributable to the attraction of essential labour to uneconomic industries which receive Government sponsorship, although they are not allied to the natural resources of the country. “It was fully appreciated by the company that the buoyancy of today’s market conditions was affected by import control, wool subsidies and the general shortage of labour in industry, said Mr. Nicolson. Any alteration in these factors could materially affect trading. He said that £180,039 had been spent by the company on alterations to the plant and premises recently. Deliveries of new plant had been slow, but most of it was now in operation.