AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 57, 30 November 1937, Page 8

AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY

Each Can Aid in Development of the Other ADDRESS TO ROTARY "When I left London, some two years ago," said Sir James SteeleMaitland, in the course of an address given at the Napier Rotary Club's luncheon yesterday, "I did not dream that my first address to a Rotary Club in New Zealand would be given at Napier, the town of which 1 had read when it was so completely destroyed by a terrible earthquake and lire. I thank the Napier Rotary Club for their invitation, and the vvelcome they have given ine. "Since my arrival in New Zealand about 18 montlis ago," continued Sir James, "I have been impressed with the opportunities which New Zealand offers for commerce. I have moved up and down New Zealand, 'and I have also been to Austraiia and Canada', and l consider that New Zealand offers unrivalied opportunities for commerce. Lndustnes here have been slower in 'teveloping than in some other countries, but ' this has, given opportunitieB for studymg the latest developments and profitiiig by the advancement. made in the other countries." Progress in New Zealand in less than 100 years was amazing, said' the speaker. Regarded .. as stnl quite a new country, but with vast resources capable of development, there was a real danger of having all our commer cial eggs in one basket — agriculture. This did not mean that New Zealand would not remain chiefly qn agriculturel country, sh& was bound to do so, and no one should try and convert her. To his mind industrial development should be made with a view to supplying the internaL market. We should uot think we have nothjng to learn. The Old Country had thought that and found she had a great deal to learn. There should be more cohesion between agriculture and industry. Each could aid in the development of the other. The early pioneer settlers had got down to it and had overcome difficulties in plenty. While it would be foolisk to embark on some major Industries repuiring an immense output to be profitable, he did not think the population of New Zealand too small for the establishment or development of some other secondary industries. An optimistic spirit should prevail, so that industries Which offered reasonable prospects of profitable expansion ovef a period of years could be encour

aged. But these must be self-support-ing, as it was extremely unlikely that New Zealand would become an exporter of manufactured goods, but she should be able to supply the internal market. It was as well t.o check up periodically on price, methods of manufaeture, etc., to seb whether we had something new to learn, continued Sir James. He had proved that in some lines New Zealand could manufaeture to compete with other countries. His firm had inade steel bars which were quite equal to those made any where else, and not necessarily very much higlier in price. The present might not be quite the right time to put these ideas of development into practice, but it should not be overlooked that competition in other countries was very keen and people1 were looking for countries . where competition was not • so keen, and New Zealand was a happy hunting ground, and he urged them not to let chanceg be snapped up by others. Neiy Zealand to-day offered opportunities as great as in the past, and perhaps even greater. With enterprise and imagination this wonderful land could be so developed that without being a burden and without in any way injuring agriculture the secondary industries could become almost as important as the primary.