GOVERNMENTS POLICY
REPORT TO LABOUR CONFERENCE
IMPORT CONTROL AND NEW INDUSTRIES
(P.A.) WELLINGTON, June 18. The maintenance of import control and the establishment of new industries were reported by the parliamentary section as Government policy to the annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party to-night. New industries proposed and existing ones to be further encouraged included the following: the manufacture of civil aircraft, the establishment of a State iron and steel works, based on Taranaki ironsands, State pulp and paper mills, including the manufacture of newsprint, private pulp and paper mills, and the further assembly of United 'Kingdom motor vehicles. Other industries to be developed were rubber tyre manufacture (three works), non-ferrous mills to produce brass, copper and alloy sheets, tubes, wires, etc., sugar beet, brick and cement works, Axminster carpet manufacture, the utilisation of linen flax products, the further use of phormium tenax products, fish liver oil, rayon piece goods, wool tops, lactose (sugar of milk), wall boards, and terry towels. Full development of the resources of the Dominion was reported by the Parliamentary committee as its progosed policy, to be vigorously pursued, ut with a proper regard for the requirements of sound economy, the numerical limits of the working population, and the character of national material assets. To this end selective import control would be maintained, but the Government would utilise the full resources of overseas funds available, without any arbitrary limit, to import from Britain all those things required in New Zealand which could not be produced in New Zealand, or which it would be too expensive to produce in New Zealand. In capital goods and consumer needs the Government would have regard to the desirability of promoting world trade. It was to this end that it would make its surplus overseas funds available, subject to the necessity of providing full employment in the Dominion and protecting its own economy. This would involve participation in multilateral and bilateral treaties with members of the United Nations.
Eight Pointe of Policy Policy therefore would be:— (1) Maintenance of import control. (2) Preference to the United Kingdom, the British Commonwealth of Nations, and the United Nations as far as that course was practicable and possible, and in conformity with United Nations’ policy as it would emerge from the commercial discussion to be held next year. (3) Decentralisation of industry to provide diversified opportunities of employment for workers in smaller towns on the one hand, and on the other hand to prevent congestion in larger centres. (4) Intensified development of scientific and industrial research for the benefit of industry, and the accumulation of and distribution to industry of scientific and industrial research achievements from both local and overseas efforts. A manufacturers’ research council had been established to that end. A full information service for industry had also been developed. Separate industries were being encouraged to create their own industrial research organisations. A number had already been established. The Government met half the cost of these institutions. It provided the whole cost of the manufacturers’ research association previously referred to.
(5) Further encouragement of the use of standards, with the object of developing the efficiency of industry and the prosecution of New Zealandmade goods to the best possible standards of quality. (6) Increased financial assistance to industry in approved cases where private finance was not available.
(7) Encouragement to the formation of production councils in industry, in which both labour and management would participate.* The promotion of a national production council, with the general object of increasing national production, and the promotion of efficiency and harmony in factory operations.
(8) Revision of price control machinery would also be necessary in order to give greater encouragement to efficiency.
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Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24905, 19 June 1946, Page 6
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616GOVERNMENTS POLICY Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24905, 19 June 1946, Page 6
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