EMPHASIS ON STRATEGIC NEEDS

Chronicle (Levin), 4 May 1946, Page 7

EMPHASIS ON STRATEGIC NEEDS

-Press Associcition

By . Telegraph —

WELLINGTON, May 3. "The strategic need lo iiicreuse the population' Substantial'ly for the sake oi our own nation, brings the neeessity to provide fullcr cniployment thah ean be provided merely by our primary indus tries, " atated the report by the Lgpart mcnt of Industries and Commerce sub mitted by Mr. V. Marshall to the Committee on Population, Increased population must be aehieved quickly and the rate of increase inaintained, if New Zeaiand were to take ■ its rightful place among the nations and accept the obligations which it shared in the Pacilic, said the report.. Past ligures of a growing industrial population and keen interest iu industry, clearly indicated wliat could be expected. The Departinent had continuousiy under consideration a number of pr.oposals to establish industries anil expand existing ones. Tliere was evidence of inereasing interest by Britisu I'oncerns with official eneouragement tu disperse big factories to other parts of the Coinmonwealth, and there were in dications of a large expansion required here beeause of this cause. The wav had dfenionstrated that a greater mea sure of seif-sutiicieucy in a time of waiwas desirable attd necessary. These industries Would need to operate iu Liiue of pe_ace for reasons of eflicieucy. Other L'nited Kingdom" interests were conteiuplating cstablishing brauches in N"ew Zeaiand because of the facilities nvailuble,- the liigh intelligcnce of New Zealaud workers and the futurc favourable power conditions. The inajor* avenue of increased einployment scemeu io" be in industrial expausion. fcJtati,-.-ics sho'wed that a scarcity of juveni!o e'nlrauts into industry would continue even. 011, preseut factory capacity, to 1951. ' The extcnt to wliich the female popu lation was in industry, had a deliuite beariug on the natioual increase of population, so eneouragement should be loncentrated on industries employiug inale labour. "It appeurs that to maintain a suecesal'ul programme of industrial expan sioiq some further meaus of increasiug the population rapidly is required," Mr. Mu'rshall continued, ufter rcfcrriug to the fact 'that in the next ten years juveuile employecs for industrial ex pansion would nOt be obtaiued ■ ade*' qnately 'from the natural increase of population. The expausion of secondan ! industry was logical iind natioual be ! cnuse uiiemploynient was more a serious ! rislc in a siinple ccouoniic environment I than in a eountry of widely diversilied industry. The treud of and opportunilies for expansion of industry, was such that it appeared to be limited only bt tlie population that could be provided. Alr. Marshali, reply'ihg' to a qucstion, said lie understood tlie . Auslraliau poJicy was to bring iu young children, j preferably orphans and let them wor. ieventually into industry and commerce* I Mr. M. G. C. McCaul, presenting' the 1 vicws of the Associated Chainbers of • Commerce, spok'e of the absolutc necos l-ity for prompt . action towards settiug j np an organisation to plan an ordered land selectivc immigratiou, witli power to give effoct to the plan. The dangor I tb rough lack of population was greater | t hun ever. lie Uescribed the agcing j pojuilation and dccline iu youth as most j ominous and said the drift from eountry | to town and from the South to the j North Island madc it more urgent than j ever to liavc migrants to lill the empty ! spacfcs.