ESSENTIAL NEEDS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20000, 27 July 1939, Page 5

ESSENTIAL NEEDS

SUPPLIES IN WARTIME DOMINION PREPARATIONS POSSIBLE ISOLATION , MINISTER’S ASSURANCES (Pai-liftmentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. The maintenance of essential supplies for the Dominion during a time of war was one of the chief points dealt with toy the Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, when he discussed defence in the House of Representatives.

He expressed disappointment at the continued criticism of the Opposition after the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, had made what he regarded as an outstanding statement of the achievements of the Government in preparing to defend the country. As for the, insistence on compulsory military training, Mr. Sullivan quoted the Nationalist election programme issued in September about the time of the Munich crisis which stated: "We will develop our voluntary land forces into a capable and hi-ghly-efficient force.”

If the Opposition had achieved the sweeping election victory they had predicted, they would have been compelled by the pledge they gave to the electors to continue the voluntary system, said Mr. Sullivan.

Mr W A. Bodkin (Nat., Central Otago): The Eastern situation has developed since then.

The Minister: That situation was not comparable with the September crisis when we were on the verge of a great international conflict.

Problem of Supplies

An important aspect of the defence preparations, continued Mr. Sullivan, was that of tile country’s supplies in ease of war. This had received a great deal of attention from the Government, while in Australia and the United Kingdom it had been deemed desirable to set up Ministries of Supplies.

Because of our great distance from the principal sources of materials, New Zealand had a problem possessing some difficulties in ensuring the necessary supplies of equipment, both for defence essentials and for the civilian population.

There was the possibility of the Dominion becoming isolated. Everything depended upon the combination which might be ranged against the Empire.

Another factor was presented by technical developments which might take place in the future. There was, he thought, the possibility that, for a limited period, if war broke out, New Zealand might undergo partial isolation. Therefore it became necessary to take note of the possibilities of the situation and to prepare.

“I can only say,” he continued, “that those questions are being faced up to by the Government. All necessary steps are being taken in connection with essential requirements.” Making Own Provision The Minister added that if war occurred the difficulties in New Zealand would be accentuated by the fact that manufacturers in other portions of the Empire would be so busy in meeting their own requirements that it became necessary for the people of Australia and New Zealand to make their own provision. He had given the subject a good deal of attention and thd House could take it as reasonably certain that what he was saying was reasonably correct. Because of the strain which would be put on the productive resources of other parts of the Empire in a time of war, it was essential that the Dominion should take every step to get the essential requirements into the country and also to develop its own manufacturing industries and supply its own needs.

During the past year very great progress had been made along these lines. The Government had taken the steps necessary to deal with the supply position, as with other aspects of defence, concluded the Minister. So too, would * the import restrictions have a beneficial effect in developing the country’s industries and thus strengthen the economic structure effectively. lam dealing with the absolute necessity which existed to ensure the country’s position in the event of war.