SECONDARY INDUSTRIES

Hokitika Guardian, 13 June 1929, Page 3

SECONDARY INDUSTRIES

MANUFACTURERS RESENT

CRITICISM. DUNEDIN, June 11. At a meeting of the Dunedin Manufacturers’ Association this afternoon, the president (Mr. J. Sutherland Ross) took the opportunity of replying to some criticism of the secondary industries voiced last week by the retiring president of the Otago Farmers’ Union (Mr D. McGregor Reid). “I do not wish to sav much about the matter,” said Mr Ross, “because the primary and secondary industries are on particularly friendly terms with each other just now, and T can onlv express my regret that a responsible official of one of the large fanning interests should have touched on the matter in the way lie did. T sav that because, looking at somo» of the northern papers, the onlv nortion of his speech quoted was that dealing with ‘the inefficiency of the secondary industries.’ Tlia.t is not desirable. For various reasons, I cannot think that Mr Reid’s remarks wore made as the result of co-operation with his executive. One reason is that the incoming president spoke of his desire to work in with the manufacturers, and T have since been advised that there is a wish on the part of the executive of the Farmers’ Union to meet the executive of the Manufacturers’ Association in order to get closer together. We are all aiming at that end. to get together and bring about more co-operation between all sections. Wo should n°t hiok for points of friction. A community can only advance if it mores forward as one l,odv and not one section at. the expense of another section. Tf T were to stand before the manufacturers and sav that the farmers were only scratching the ground apd not farming properly there would he an outorv from every farmer in the country. Tho\- would ho nnite rinht. because I would have no right to say such a thing, and T protest against, a resoons’ible official of a farming bodv s-ving that, the manufacturers are rV-eid of efficiency.”

Mr TU-ss "dded that lm -mentioned this ma.+ter because the statements to which he had referred had aroused non ls nr ahi o feeling ammur manufacturers and it was considered that they should not he allowed, to uass unnoticed. At. the same time, it was verv gratifying to know that with regard to the A. and P. Association and the Farmers’ Union there appeared to ho a keen desire to co-operate, and'he wished to assure them that his Association was quite willing to go halfway to meet them,