DOMINION’S PLACE

Hokitika Guardian, 29 July 1932, Page 8

DOMINION’S PLACE

A PRUDENT RECOGNITION. LORD BLEDISLOE’iS ADDRESS, ' AUCKLAND, July 28.’ In an addreel? at Auckland, his Excellency the Governor-General, Lord o.euisloe, drew attention to the supreme necessity for a .broad outlook,- accompanied 'by “a prudent recognition of the 1-gitimate scope and economic prospects of New Zealand’s industrial and com- ; mercial .enterprise.” He spoke also of the 1 Ottawa Conference and painted the picture of an Empire organised scientifically so that its continuous prosperity an<J the welfare of all its people would he inevitable,. : > '

■ “The factors which make for national prosperity, security,. 1 and comfort have e; -"i ged materially during the last decade and are changing with lightning liij-'dity at the present time,” Lord. B'.edigkre isaid-.-- '“These factors are world-wide in their operation, and to no nation are thev more worthy of constant and careful study than New Zealand for there is none -so uttenly dependent for its very existence upon its overseas trade, and therefor 6 upon th economic well-being of its oversea customers.

•‘By- way off illustration,; we have only to note the recent remarkable and i highly .satisfactory effect upon the prices of New Zealand dairy products and of wool produced by the amazing' success,-, bailed upon abounding British patriotism, of the British Conversion Loan* and of the' settlement, through Characteristic British perseverance, of he War Reparations Conference at Lausanne, ; “IF NEW ZEALAND FAILS . . ' ■ ■' . ~j: J “■lf New Zealand fails to recover and dJve.op her industrial prosperity—and * decline to contemplate such ah' event--uality— at will be due to insularity of' outlook, tardy utilisation to' its full limit’s, and in’ the light of modern science of hei immense tracts of potentially lerhile. land, excessive public expenditure out of loaned capital, upon v. hicli interest chgltges iiivoiv© an ever- 1 increasing public ourden, and a growing inclination' to looli to the Government and the municipality to supersede, and thereby to stultify,' private enterprise. At least on the eve of the Empire" Economic Conference -let us suive to broaden 6ur outlook and fight a'!’, tendency to insular myopia or undue. concentration on your own little world of industrial! effort.”

‘ “This fertile country of 'sunshine' and, sturdy humanity has the inherent capacity to become the mo-st prosperous as ,vye ) lj(,,afc,,the ,h,nppjest n#d.'.healthiest national 'unit of the British Commonwealth, subject to two dominant conditions, first, the unflagging realisation that its economic fortunes are inseparably ’.'inked with those of Great Britajn endithe rest of the Empire, and, second, ly, the consciousness that no industrial or commercial enterprise which, by its existence, its organisation, or its mode of conduct, throws a- substantial burden upon th e rest of lhe community, can possibly benefit-the/country, or in the long: run, those engaged in it. ;

INDIVIDUAL AND COMMONWEAL

“The time is' ripe for all citizen,s of the British' .Empire, whether they be producers, distributors, salesmen, or purchasers, to explore patriotically and: unselfishly their commercial activities' however great or however humble there, activities may be, in the light oidy -o public advantage, and with the realisation that iin a 'well-ordered State the promotion of the public weal is a profit-. able investment for the private individual. v°

“As regards every 6ne of the commodities on -show in this building, T trust that both’ exhibitor ■ anR visitor will ask! himself whether as an item of merchandise, utility, Or education its'production, in this country is, under 'present conditions, a' 1 dtfinifo benefit to the comihuh--ity. I hope and believe that in the ma. jority of cases bis confident answer will be in the affirmative. Applying this test to primary products and realising the overwhelming dependence of this minion 'upon British cu torn for their commercial absorption and the possible effects of the Ottawa Conference upon their more extensive production', Samples of-such products of exceptional excellence and suitability merit' the patriotic and well-informed interest of townsman and- countryman alik e . In this connection the tr< 7 te of the British housewife is well worthy of the same meticulous. study land discriminating satisfaction as are accorded to it in Denmark. Argentine, Czecho-Slovakia, and other* competitive foreign countries. INDUSTRIAL REORGANISATION. Industrial -reorganisation on an Empire basis was necessary if in production arc! preponderant consumption the Empire and nefc. each of Its countries .••jpei i'n future to be the unit—a condition that was of vital -importance to tile Dominion.’ Such reorganisation required that competitive production within the Empire should be replaced by complementary production, -and that it should generally be arranged so that industries were developed iin the places most 'suitable for them. Far greater f eeclom of commodity exchange would also be required.