NEW ZEALAND PUBLICITY

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 962, 3 May 1930, Page 12

NEW ZEALAND PUBLICITY

IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS EXPECTED REPORT OF RETRENCHMENT Special to THE BUN WELLINGTON, Today. Important developments in respect cd publicity work by the Government rre expected as the result of a conference between the Minister of Internal Affairs and Publicity, the lion. 1\ A. do la Perrelle, and Mr. G. Clinkard, officer-in-charge of the newly-amalgamated Departments of Industries and Commerce and Publicity. The meeting, for which Mr. Clinkard lias cancelled portion of his tour with Mr. L. J. fc’chmitt on the West Coast, is the first since his return from Samoa, and is expected to define the lines to be followed by the combined departments in their future work. Publicity is to be under discussion, and a statement is made that the Government is considering retrenchment in its publicity work. As yet. however, it is clear that nothing has been decided as the Minister declines to make an announcement. It seems possible that the limitations imposed upon publicity work in the future may be in regard to the scenic films which have formed a great portion of the campaign in the past, but which have been driven from the local market, though not from the overseas markets, by the competition of the talkies. At the same time, the small surplus recently announced, coupled with the fact that the position of the Dominion is not as satisfactory as it might be, lower prices ruling for its produce, and the further fact that Customs revenue during the next few months is uncertain, exports being expected to diminish, suggests that the move in respect of expenditure on publicity may be part of a general policy of restricted spending on the part of the Government. Last year the vote for publicity work was £25,000. Government departments are now preparing their • estimates for the present financial year, and whether a like amount will be budgeted for this session appears to depend upon the decision reached in the present conference-.