MINISTERIAL PLATITUDES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 906, 25 February 1930, Page 8

MINISTERIAL PLATITUDES

IN an address at a conference of New Zealand manufacturers in Wellington .yesterday, tlie Hon. J. B. Donald, newlyappointed Minister of Industries and Commerce, voiced a few of those feeble platitudes which have done so much to blast the hope of creative political support for the country’s industrial aspirations. Mr. Donald is palpably a Minister who is not yet familiar with his job. lie was concerned in the recent reshuffle of portfolios, when Sir Joseph Ward relieved him of the Post-master-Generalship and conferred on him, instead, the portfolio of Industries and Commerce, which the Hon. J. G. Cobbe had already promised to invest with some constructive ideas. It was realised, at the time, that the arrangement was not altogether a happy one, and if Mr. Donald’s remarks yesterday are a fair sample of what may be expected from him in the future, even when he has had more time in which to get a grasp of his responsibilities, then the outlook for struggling manufacturers, and for those of their employees who through the competition of foreign goods are compelled to work short time, if not to lay off altogether, is not bright. One of the remarkable notions to which Mr. Donald has committed himself is the idea that a policy of protecting New; Zealand manufactures may mean a cessation of our external trade. He does not think it should be thought that New Zealand “should not trade with countries overseas.” Who ever suggested that New Zealand should not do so? Certainly the idea was never suggested by the manufacturers. If they can realise their legitimate aspirations, some of the present trade which consists to a great extent of export of raw materials may be converted into exports of the finished article. New Zealanders will not then he faced with the farcical business of shipping out a basic material, that could profitably and satisfactorily be utilised in this country, and importing it later at tremendously increased cost. The unfortunate part of Mr. Donald’s utterances is that, as chairman- of the recently-appointed committee to investigate secondary industries, he has committed himself to an unfriendly attitude before the committee has begun its work. Of course, this is veiled behind a lot of meaningless pleasantries. He enunciates the doctrine that New Zealand is importing too many luxuries. Nobody is likely to contradict that; but the discovery does not do any great credit to Mr. Donald’s political insight. The kernel of his remarks is his opposition to any sort of Protection, no matter what the situation, no matter what New Zealand workers are in poverty, or what plant is lying idle. In addition to this. Mr. Donald extends the manufacturers his “sympathy.” If this is the extent of Mr. Donald’s statesmanship, the sentiment will be reciprocated.