SEARCH FOR RUBBER Minister’s Reply To “The Dominion”.

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 260, 1 August 1942, Page 8

SEARCH FOR RUBBER Minister’s Reply To “The Dominion”.

A reply to a leading article in yesterday’s “Dominion” regarding the Government proposal to send a special envoy overseas to assist in the procurement ot sufficient rubber to maintain the essential transport of this country, was made last evening by the Minister ot Supply and Munitions, Mr. Sullivan. The article stated that it was difficult to see in what way a special envoy could achieve more than the representatives of New. Zealand already overseas, or bow a special envoy would be able to tap sources of information and obtain a greater measura <>£ consideration of the serious transport position of the Dominion than would be done by the Government officers already overseas. “It does not leave one with much faith in advice and recommendations of the Press, and the commercial community, if, when the advice and recommendations are adopted, those responsible for them immediately turn face about, and begin to criticise the Government, for following their advice,” said Mr. Sullivan. “I can state quite definitely that there was no ’rush in an excess of zeal without careful study either of the drain on the public purse or the ends to be achieved. The recommendation that a responsible business man with a lifetime's experience of the tyre and rubber industry should be selected and sent overseas arose without any Government inspiration from the Tyre Advisory Committee, which is representative of the tyre importers and distributors, the" transport industry and the consumers.

“Some weeks ago the Government accepted the committee's nomination of Mr. 11. G. Miller, general manager of the Firestone Tyre and Rubber Company, and this gentleman . proceeded to Australia to impress upon the Australian authorities our actual position in regard to tyres and rubber, and to arrange for the early manufacture from a supply of raw rubber being allocated for New Zealand use those particular sizes and grades of tyres of which we were in most urgent need. This mission was most successful, and its' results impressed upon my colleagues the desirability of accepting the committee’s further recommendation that Mr. Miller should be sent to America, and if necessary on to London, so as to complete arrangements for the allocation of a quota of either tyres or rubber to New Zealand, and in the latter case for the manufacture of a portion of that rubber in particular sizes of tyres and tubes urgently needed here. “I may say that, the principals of the Firestone Tyre and Rubber Company have very kindly offered Mr. Miller's services to the Government free of salary. It will be obvious to any thinking person that, the seriousness of the rubber position demands special attention, and special representation to those central authorities which are charged with the settling of allocations as between the various units of the Allied Nations. “The personnel of the Now Zealand Supply Missions overseas have been selected because of their all-round knowledge of the I tominion's requirements. They have to deal with the widest possible range of material and goods wanted by all sections of the defence forces, Government departments and commercial houses. (They are all working at very high pressure and none could be spared for '.his special function without replacements being sent to carry on their work It follows then.that as someone would have to be sent either to do this job or to relic'e someone else to concentrate on the work, what heller decision could be made than |o send a tyre ami rubber expert Io <■ tyre ami rubber conference. “The facts speak for Ihi inselves,” said the Minister, "but the criticism that has been made surely indicates that the author did not make any attempt to dis charge his responsibility by inquiring into the facts ol' the ease, but rushed, ’in an excess of -zeal without any careful study,’ to condemn something about which he knew nothing, but .about which the Government had consulted and acted on the advice of the accredited representa fives of the business rind industrial community concerned with the parliculiu commodity."