N.Z. BOOT INDUSTRY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 21, 18 October 1937, Page 9

N.Z. BOOT INDUSTRY

— Pro«« AnsocinSlon.)

Minister of Labour Replies to Critics

"I AM THE1R BEST FRIEND"

CBy Tolegropb

CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. The boot industry and other secondary industries natural to the Dominion have no better friend than myself, because 1 xecognise that the prosperity of everybody in this country depends very largely on the development of secondary. industries," said the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. . T. Armstrong, to* day, in replying to criticism by the Boot Manufacturers' Federation of a statement he made earlier in the week. Mr Armstrong said that his former statement that the Boot manufacturers were at the peak of their prosperity wu borne out by facts, but he had aisd made it clear that the Labour Department's estimate of the number of persons dismissed during the. past three or four months was 300. it was clear from the figures of the number of operatives employed in the industry th^t there had been a boom during the last twelve or eighteen months in the boot manufaeturing industry and there were signs at present of general' slackeningofL Wellington, up to the present had nofc felt the falling-off to the same extent m other parts. . The Labour Department could find evidence of only 20 hands being' dismissed in Wellington. It was a fact, however, that a number of manufacturers were working to add to stoeks rather than for supplying orders. "I would not say for a moment that some boot manufacturers are not in difficulties," Mr Armstrong added. "1 want to help the industry in every way possible. If there is one industry more than any other that it natural to New Zealand, it is the boot manufaeturing industry( because all the raw materials ara produced in this country." l£r Armstrong said that a question of Government policy was involved as to - the extent of protection to be given to the boot industry. He could say, however, that if the secondary industries were not going to be developed, New Zealand would not be able to carry a very much larger population than it had ito-day. "I- am strongly of the opinion that New Zealand can and should carry a larger population. We must develop secondary industries side by side with primary industries. We ;annot afford to neglect them."