TWO WEEKS HOLIDAY FOR ALL

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 70, 9 April 1937, Page 6

TWO WEEKS HOLIDAY FOR ALL

-Pre?p Associnlion.)

Mmister Sees Possible Difficulties MIGHT AFFECT INDUSTRY

- (By Tflperaph-

WELLINGTON, Last Night. I Dnring the debate on a proposal f6i*| paid holidays for all workers, which | fook plaCe at the recent annual con-j ference of Ihe L»bour Party, a sugges-j %ion was made that a fortnight annuallyj should he made mandatory. Accordingi fo a report issued to-night/ the Mmister | of Industries and Commerce, Hon. D. 10. Sullivan, in speaking to the mqtion, ixecalled that some years ago, with the consent of the Barliamentary Lahour Party, he introduced a Bill providing a fortnight'a paid holiday for all workers Avery year. "During the period Lahour has heenj 5n power, certaiu new fa-ctors have beem introduced," eontinued the Minister. "There has been the 40-hour week and |the restoration oi and increase inWtagea. Costs of production have therejby been increased. I am at. present Snvestigating the claims of a numher of industries that, as a result of the indus(trial legislation and increased costs, jthey are no longer i/ble to sustain a j jposition in competition with goods from Dverseas. My investigations have not yet proceeded to a point where it can he said the claims can be sustained, but importatione have increased in some of fhose industries, that may he taken to show that some manufacturers are having difficulfcy in competing, but our inyestigations are not yet conelusive. Ii have no doubt. .the Government will iind a way of solving any difficulty that may he proved. The increase in imports in We or two of the smaller industries has 'reached 100 per cent., hut the turnover on the local market has also increased so that New Zealand industry may he henefitting at the same time. The conf erence will see this is a most importanti matter and we must take care not to do anything that will make it impossible for local industry to carry on. If the rum of £100,000 or £200,000 in costs were added to industry by enforcing extra holidays, the effect might he disastrous. If the thing is impossible, I feel sure the conference will not recommend that we should adopt it," conclu'ded Mr Sullivau. The conference passed a recommendation that the Government should he asked to give consideration to the question of making legislative provision for paid annual holidays.