COUNTRY’S FUTURE

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1929, Page 7

COUNTRY’S FUTURE

LAND DEVELOPMENT. POPULATION PROBLEM. SECONDARY PRODUCTS. WELLINGTON, July 12. Some of the problems New Zeeland may have to face were touched upon by the Governor-General, (Sir Charles Fergusson) when speaking at the opening of the Wellington Winter Show yesterday afternoon. His Excellency referred particularly to immigration and the development of the country, with which, he pointed out, lay the future, of the secondary industries of New Zealand. He emphasised that he had no desire to force his opinions, but he made the remarks with a view to their discussion and consideration.

His Excellency said he wanted to say a few words about shows and what they represented. Of course, in the winter shows one had mainly the opportunity of being educated io our secondary industries, and one saw what a marvellous advance had been made in the development of tne seconary industries of the country. During the last year or two, His Excellency said, he had taken every opportunity he could of making himself acquainted with the development of the industries. He had visited all the factories he hacl found it possible to visit, and had made acquaintance with people engaged in the industries, He thought no one could go through the factories without being really impressed with the very high standard of quality,, and the regret that one had after visiting the factories was that they were not on a larger scale; that they were not as fully occupied as they might be, and that so far the secondary industries had not progressed as far as one would like to see. His Excellency pointed out that the factories represented paid-up capital amounting to £331,000,000; that they employed 83,000 people; and that the value of land, plant, buildings, etc., amounted to £63,000,000. For u comparatively small country like New Zealand that made a very fair showing.

BIGGER HOME MARKET. Continuing, His Excellency said that the point he wanted to tU souks was, what was going to be the •future of the secondary industries? He said he had been accused more than one. of taking more interest in Hie primary than the secondary industries. He would like to give an assurance that that was not so.. He relenv.d to the importance of the primary industries, but said that, at the same time, as Mr Norwood Tiad stated, -lie secondary industries were necessarily corollary to the primary industries. There was always a large number oj people to be absorbed, and the secondary industries would have to absorb them. How were -the. secondarj industries going to deveop? At present .they could not get beyond a certain point, for the reason that their object was not so much', “export” as “home market.” For a 10-ig time they could not hope to compete with foreign manufacturers, but they ought to be able to provide for the Wan is o. the people of New Zealand. 'The* could not develop 'beyond a certain point till the population itoelf developed. The population, more than a million and a quarter, could consume only a certain quantity. Going through the factories, it was born on one how very much more flourishing they would be if only they hau a bigger market. They could not have a bigger market till there wa l a bigger population. That was hou it appeared to him in a broad v. ay There must be a sufficiently largehome market in which to sell the goods, and there must also be a larg or production at a reasonably low cost.

DOMINION’S POPULATION. What was going to be New Zealand’s population? At the present time it was stated there could be in increase of immigration, and he had to accept that as being an economic necessity. His Excellency then went on to deal with the restriction or otherwise of the development ot the population of the country, and poi lined out. that immigrants wiio came to this country were not primarily people who took the bread out of*our ennulis. Immigrants of the right s:.ri were going to be assets—-producers and consumers—and wha.t they were going to produce and consume would 1.0 our secondary industries. So long os there was a limited population the secondary industries could not gel beyond a certain point, but double the population and the mdmines would flourish. His Excellency said he was touching upon a controversial subject, (but it was a matter In ought forward as a matter of consult.* l a-ion and discussion. One did not v ant the immigrants to come into our limited population and augment overcrowded industries, but there was scope for them in developing pi Unary products of the country and wot king on the land, if only the boys of New Zealand would recognise iluit the way in which they coud best se.*ve their country in these clays was to do what their forefathers did and develop the land, then one would hear none of the talk about hoys ieai.ng

sqjiool and being unable io fil’d wo.K. If immigrants were put oil the land and the population built ap till it was ton times greater than it was to-day, then there would 'be a chance for the secondary industries. PROGRESS ARRESTED. His Excellency said that- thai m <n> ed to him to be the most insistent problem of the present time—how to develop New Zealand. New Zeaiai d was not standing still, but ibe country to a certain extent was being arrested in its- development, as it seemed to be the generally accepted view that immigration could not be encouraged. “I hope to see these restrictions being done away with,’’ he said. ‘T hope to see our boys taking moic to the land. I hope to see boys lrom Home placed on the land. I hope to see this wonderful country, not spai'-e----iy populated as it is to-day, but covered with homesteads and flourishing farms and the old people growing up with the young people settling down on the land and the country being developed. Then only will the secondary industries have a chance to he developed.” His Excellency said ho was not trying to shove his views down other people’s throats. He looked at these things as an outsider, and he offered the ideas for discussion. Ho hoped the coming years would see less of the establishing of the'young people in the town. He concluded with a reference to his pending departure, remarking that the functions he attended were tinged with a little bit of regret because he could not forget it was 1 for the last time, He had seen the growth of the show from very small things, He rejoiced to have seen that and lie would look forward to hear that the show would be better than any other winter show in New Zealand. It should be, being in the Capital City. He wished it every success and prosperity.