FINDING WORK

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 689, 15 November 1933, Page 6

FINDING WORK

MANUFACTURERS' ACT ACCELERATING RETURN OF MEN TO THEIR YARIOUS TASKS ADDRESS BY JVIR. FORBES Wellington, Tuesday. An assurance that the manufacturers of the, Dominion would do everything in their power to assist in the relief of unemployment was given by Mr. Frank Campbell in his presidential address to-day at the opening of •a special conferenee organised by ths Manufacturers' Federation to discuss unemployment and other important matters. Mr. Campbell expressed the manufacturers' appreciation of the manner in whieh Hon. G. W. Forbes had earried out his onerous duties, and assured him of the manufacturers' help and sympathy. "WJhen we realise that for .over two years we have earried 70,000 registered unemployed and pcssibly another 20,000 not registered," said Mr Campbell, "one realises the wonderful resources of the Dominion, and it should give us great hsart for the future." After saying that they had just cause for eonfidence and sane optimism, lie said the opportunity would be given to discuss ways to accelerate the return of employees to jobs. The number engaged in the manufacturing industries had dropped from 67,000 in 1929 to 53,000 in 1933. It should not be an impossible task to get back to the 1929 figures. He hoped decisions would be reached that would not only be of benefit to the manufacturers, but be of national benefit. A Searching Inquiry He mentioned that the manufacturing industries had just bcen submitted to a most searching inquiry. Production costs and methods had been carefully inquired into, and he said it might be that a similar inqiury could be undertaken with considerable advantage to the pastoral produrers. The importance of the pastoral industries was evcr appreciated b^ the Manufacturers' Federation, and the economic dcvelopment of both pastoral and manufacturing industries side by side, making for a balanced Kew Zealand, was the aim of the federation. Sureiy that was not impossible in Kew Zealand. He expressed the thanks of the manufacturers to Di. Marsden and his colleagues, of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, for /their eo-operation and advice, and urged tlie necessity of overeoming prejudice against New Zealand-made goods. Addressing the conferenee, the Premier, Hon. G. vV. Forbes, said there was a brighter outlook than for several years .and throughout the country a greater feeling of eonfidence. Ile did not think there was any■thing conflicting in the interests of the primary inaustries and those of the seeondary industries. What wa.s raquired was that all should run on eifieient lines and improve the quality of their eoods.

It behoved the manufacturers- so to conduct their businesses that thev would not require the assistance of tariffs to a degree which could be criticised. The object should be to seek ths removal . of undesirable tariifs, but no one wanted to reduce tariffs so as to put industries out of operation. Britain did not desire that, her objection being to uneconomic industries that required unduiy high protection. There was amplp scope for local industries to do a very large business in the Dominion. Interference in Business Mr. Forbes said that it was futile to talk about the Government not interforing in business. In many cases tbe Government was asked by industries to interfere to the extent of making some alterations in the tariff, yet that was not locked upon as interference in business, ftequests were also made to the Government in regard to unfair competition. There was no aoubt that to-day the trend was more and more to call upon the Government to regulate and control business. He could .assure them th.at the Government did not wlsh to interfere or do anything restrictive if it could be avoided, but where it was a clear case of the Governrnent's duty it had followed a cour- 3 that was in the best interests of the whole commuiiity. He added: "I think can claim that the Government has endoavoured to earry out wl at it felt to be in the best interests of the country as a whole."