ON RIGHT LINES.

Waikato Times, Volume 109, Issue 18347, 5 June 1931, Page 3

ON RIGHT LINES.

NEW ZEALAND INDUSTRY. “ STICK TO AGRICULTURE.” LESSON FROM AUSTRALIA. Premature industrialism in Australia, and to a much lesser extent in New Zealand, was, in the opinion of Mr R. S. Conrow, who arrived in Wellington by the Manama, one of the contributing causes to the present depression. Mr Conrow is the special representative of the Arrnco International Corporation, a company dealing exclusively with sheet iron and steel which has world-wide ramifications. After a short stay in New Zealand he will proceed back to Australia, to the East, and then to the UnitecT States. Mr Conrow, in an interview with “The Dominion” described New Zealand as “one of the finest little, conservative, steady-going countries that I know of.” New Zealand he said, was proceeding on the right lines in attempting to still further develop her primary industries and increase production. , The country should stick-to its agriculture, for that, was what it w T as really suited for, and could never in any circumstances become a manufacturing country on account of the remoteness from the world’s markets and centres of population, and the comparative scarcity of coal and iron resources.

Too Many Industries. In Australia, he continued, there were too many industries, which were merely struggling along with the assistance of high protective tariffs, thereby crippling trade. He noticed in Victoria generally, a much better state of affairs than in New South Wales. People seemed to be more confident in Melbourne than in Sydney, there being so much radical element in evidence in the latter place. However, the recent conference of the Premiers seemed to be an augury of a more hopeful situation. All he had met in Australia seemed to be willing to make a genuine earnest -effort to pull the country out of its present serious position.

Already in the United States the metallurgical industry was showing an upward trend, he added, particularly In the automobile section, but as yet the industry was only working to 60 per cent, of its full capacity. Indications were for a decided revival before the end of the year.