WARNING TO WORKERS

Chronicle (Levin), 28 April 1949, Page 9

WARNING TO WORKERS

Pfess Associaltion)

Must Heed Red Light Of , Falling Receipts ,

'' (Per

WELLINGTON, April 27. The trend must be for prices of primaxy products to reoede, &tated the president of the Wellington Trafes Councii, Mr. F. P. Walsh, in a report presented on hehalf of the management committee of thp councii, at its anama! meeting tonight. .. After referring to the decline in wheat aud wool prices, Mr. Walsh sald there was furtlxer evidence that in one of New Zealand's principal primary industries, the country's receipts were^ , falling considerably short of the amount to he paid to the producer. "This is a red light and signal to whicfh we must give serious heed," added Mr. Walsh. He said that if New Zealand was to meet falling prices for its primary products, stabiliaStion would beeome of greater and not of less importance. " Stabilisation continues to be the key to the maintenance of our standards, " said Mr. Walsh. '/The effects of the war in producing inflationary pressures through shortages of goods and services and increases in purchasing power, are becoming less apparent with each passing year but vntil our economy aud the economy of the world as a whole has returned to normal stability, then our standards will have to be assured through some measure of control. The country and worker have beneiited enormously from stabilisation since its inception, to a degree uot approached in any other country. The poliey has been a inajor success and its continuance will be strongly supjxorted by thinking workers at least until economic conditions become more normal. "We must remember, that much of our present prosperity is due to the misfortunes of peoples in other countries who, beeause of the ravages of war upon their own productive economies, were forced to pay primary producing countries prices which, in relation to whose ruling in 1938-39, can in many cases be described as fabulous. It must not be tliought that tliese countries can f or will for ever go on paying these ' prices. Already there are indications • that their own productive resources are rallying in many cases back to prewar levels and the trend must be for prices of primary products to recede. There has already been a sharp decline in wheat prices and recent wool saies in this country have shown price declines ranging up to 25 per cent compared with those ruling at earlier saies. ' • Stabilisation has so far been more elfective in praetice here than in any other country in the world and work-

ers along with all sections of our community, must give serious thought to the problems our stabilisation policy must face in the coming year." Later in the report Mr. Walsh said that any hopes of advances, indeed or maintaining New • Zealand's present standards, were dependent upon one single faetor, namely, the productivity of the labour applied to resources. An increases in the productivity of the labour force could bring an increase in standards. "Without increased productivity," continued Mr. Walsh, "our standards camnot advance. Indeed they may fail. While improvements in vthe productivity of labour we apply are dependent to some extent upon employers as well as workers, it is upon workers that' improvements ultimately depend. "It is therefore of utmost importance in the coming year with signs on the horizon of a reduction in the prices we can hope to receive for our primary products, that our workers should squarely face their responsibilities ana give of their utmost to see that their labour is applied without stint in tne production of the maximum wealth which this country is capable of producing. Only by producing more can workers ensure that their share will be larger. This is the primary fact we must face in the coming year."