LABOUR PARTY

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 32312, 13 September 1943, Page 3

LABOUR PARTY

ADDRESS AT FOUNDRY MR J. THORN IN THAMES INDUSTRIES IN NEW ZEALAND Addressing a largely attended meeting’ of the workers at Price’s Foundry during the dinner hour last Monday, Mr James Thorn, Labour Party candidate for Thames, said that among the Government’s most active concerns since the elections in 1935 was the development of manufacturing industries in New Zealand. When the Labour Party won the 1935 elections no less than 57,000 male adult workers were registered 1 as unemployed and many of these were men who had previously been employed at their trades in the foundry. Instead of being employed at useful productive employment at wages which would give them a fair livelihood they were engaged scratching the grass off the streets at wages of from 20 to 30 shillings a week. So sadly had manufacturing industry deteriorated that between 1932 and 1935 the number' of apprentices had fallen from 6910 to 3329. Balanced Industry The Government had aimed at the organisation of a balanced industry in the Dominion, for if New Zealand were ever to conceive itself as a solely primary production country selling its products to the Old'Country and 'buying its commodities from the Old Country, ' nearly every young person would have to migrate from New Zealand to find employment. We needed secondary as well as primary industries, and only to the extent that both were developed would the prosperity of the Dominion be assured. Mr Thorn stated that what the Government had done in supporting the manufacturing industries in Thames it had done throughout the Dominion, and with the same result. There had been an increase of- goods and c ver, and therefore improver) trade m the shops together witi nprovement in the generar conditions of the people. Increase In Factories As snowinn- to what extent th.? Gov- . ■eminent had succeeded Mr Them said that when it took office in 1935 the number of factories in New Zealand was 5270, and last year it w?s 6367 — an increase of nearly .1100 factories. Within the same period the workers in ' the factories had increased from ; 79,358 to 117.214 last year—or an in- ! crease of approximately 38,009. Last ■’ year the value of factory production in New Zealand was £155.099.000, which was 35 per cent, higher than it was in the year before the war. With- 1 out these factories New Zealand ■ would have had the utmost difficulty ■

in equipping her Armed Forces and in producing munitions of war. Mr Thorn stated’ that the wages paid in New Zealand factories in 1938■39 amounted to £22,200,000, while last year they had totalled £29,500,000, or over £7,000,000 more than when the war began. Independents Criticised Concluding, Mr Thorn said that the issues facing New Zealand to-day were so serious as to be impossible of solu-

tion by candidates calling themselves Independents whose many differences would render them powerless to enforce any policy. These issues could only be decided by a party which possessed great strength and which was moved by principles about which it was convinced and he contended that the only party which had the power to solve these problems progressively was the Labour Party. He was loudly applauded by his audience.

“What quantity of tobacco do you smoke a week?” That was the question nut to readers bv a popular Man1 ‘ Chester weekly. Many responded, and from their replies' it appeared that cigarette smokers got through from 30 to 300 cigarettes during the seven days, while pipe smokers consumed from two ounces to a pound of the “weed” ift the same period. A doctor ’wrote to the editor saying he considered the latter quantity excessive. Perhaps it is. But it all depends on the tobacco and the percentage of nicotine in ir. Happily. Maorilanders don’t have to worry about nicotine. Our incomparable New Zealand brands I Cut 'Plug No. .10 (Bullshe'ad), Caveni dish, Navy Cut No. 3 (Bulldog), Rirerhead Geld, Desert Gold, and Pocket Edition, are practically free from rhe noison, thanks to “toasting.” Thai magical process (the manufacturers’ own) Tenders ihese famous blenX safe lor even the immoderate i smoker. Aw, sweA, fragrant and | ci. miot”’m g, csn’ict buy 'better! i j/hoir grA.rity is demonstrated by j tor increasim- demand for them. | I't'cm one end 'of the Dominion to the ‘ 'dho;. ;noy arc appreciated by smokers I everywhere.