Our Country’s Future

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 892, 8 February 1930, Page 6

Our Country’s Future

HOW N.Z. CAN BECOME WEALTHY,

HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS

Sir Charles Fergusson’s Lead

During the past year this column has been devoted to expounding a new gospel of economic salvation for New Zealand through fostering and extending our local industries. It has been shown that the only path to our permanent prosperity and progress is by producing more and yet more wealth for ourselves. By encouraging our own workers to produce the goods we need instead of sending that work outside the country.

the first step toward increasing xi "local production every citizen has been urged to wake up to his individual responsibility of giving preference every time to the products of his fellow workers, and this appeal for real and practical patriotism has found welcome support from the highest authorities in the Dominion. It was, indeed, gratifying to hear the Prime Minister making this appeal the subject of his New Year message to the people of the Dominion, with an eloquent speech broadcast by radio urging upon every man, woman and

child in New Zealand the duty of buying the goods made by New Zealanders. GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S FINAL ADVICE Even more convincing was the inspiring farewell address of our departing Governor-General, and his clarion call to New Zealanders to rouse themselves to a realisation of the “astounding” difference it would make to the well-being of the country if we would only support our local industries to the fullest possible means in our power. No one has had such unique occasions of seeing first hand every branch of our industrial activity, whether farming or manufacturing, as his Excellency during his constant travels through the length and breadth of the Dominion. The high praise he has always paid to the efficiency of our factories, the value and excellence of their products, their healthy and happy workers, is capped with his final appeal to

the public to give them the support they have so worthily earned.

The vital value of our local industries to the Dominion has been examined in this column from many widely varying angles, and it is encouraging to learn from our manufacturers that a solid and lasting public sentiment in favour of local industries is now revealing itself in a practical form by increased sales in the many lines which have been brought to the public notice. APATHY AND PREJUDICE At the outset, there was a great amount of indifference and even strong prejudice to be overcome in convincing the people of the paramount importance of increasing our national wealth by producing it for ourselves, in preference to impoverishing the country and throwing our own workers out of employment by importing our goods from outside. As the largest importers, per head of population, in any country, we have developed the importing habit to such an extent that business depression, shortage of money, unemployment and poverty is threatening to become chronic, and with the price of staple exports declining seriously the outlook is becoming graver than ever. THE CALL TO ACTION No thinking citizen, looking to the future, can disregard the warnings published here from time to time, or ignore the dangers ahead. The figures quoted in these articles have never been challenged, and never has the situation been exaggerated for mere propaganda purposes. The simple statements of plain facts have needed no straining nor stressing to

convince readers of the imperative need for action to save our country from eclipse. The renewed growth of unemployment and business stagnation; the shortage of money; the empty houses of Auckland; the small army of youths seeking in vain for openings in productive labour, are but a few signs of the times which should cause everyone to think furiously, and to remember the lessons given here. We cannot have progress and prosperity without producing the wealth that alone provides them; nor can industry flourish here while we buy those products of outside countries which we could make for ourselves, here, from our own materials. One simple illustration of this plain fact may close this lesson by pointing out what has just been disclosed by official figures. In the year 1928 the skilled workers employed in our manufactories lost over 1,600,000 hours through being on “short-time”—an increase of over 500,000 hours over the previous year. This was in addition to the total loss of the thousands of workers who were out of a job. The pay for those 1,600,000 lost hours of our factory workers went into the pay envelopes of workers in outside countries, where the rival goods were made, and so it was lost to the business people of our own community. KEEP NEW ZEALAND WORKERS BUSY AND INCREASE THEIR SPENDING POWER. DANGER IN FOOTWEAR VENTILATION FOR THE FEET In the December number of the Plymouth (England) Public Health Department’s official magazine, “Better Health,” Dr. A. T. Nankivell, the city’s medical officer, issues a v.-arning against the danger of contracting colds and other winter ailments through wearing unsuitable footwear. “The public ought to know,” Dr. Nankivell Says, “that the constant use of footwear which is made of leather substitutes, creates much perspiration and thereby brings about that very dampness which we should all try to avoid, and which may predispose to chilling of the body and subsequent colds, and possibly rheumatic affections. “Nowadays people wear boots and shoes made of a variety of materials," continues the medical officer, “but there Is no doubt that from the medical point of view, leather, and good leather, is far and away the best protection for the feet. There are on the market many substitutes. These may keep out the wet, but on the other hand, they sometimes keep the feet of the wearer in a moist condition, because they allow no real ventilation of the skin.