Dragging and Drifting

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1016, 5 July 1930, Page 6

Dragging and Drifting

A DANGEROUS POSITION Perils of Under-Production THROUGH not producing sufficient wealth for our own support New Zealand is drifting into a very dangerous position, and only by a combined attempt to increase the output of our local industries can we hope to weather the peril threatening us. Other countries are raising their tariff walls still higher to safeguard internal production, but the flood of imports into the Dominion shows but little abatement.

The manufacturers of the Dominion are engaged in tlieir annual conference in Wellington, and seeking every avenue for increasing our industrial production, but they realise that the first essential toward this end is the goodwill and practical sup-i port of the people of New Zealand, and ; the welfare of our 100,000 inanufactur-i; ing workers is entirely in the hands of j our local buyers. MILLIONS FOR OVERSEAS WORKERS Last year the wages bill of our local industrial operatives amounted to £17,000,000, but we sent many millions out of the country to pay the wages of outside. workers making goods for us w'liich could be produced here by our own labour, from materials supplied by our local producers. The first national conference of New Zealand manufacturers was held in 1884, and 46 years ago in his inaugural address the then president deplored J

the fact that with a population of 500,000 New Zealand was importing goods to the value of £6,000,000, many of which could have been made here then by our pioneers of local industries ! Half a century ago we imported £l2 a head of population from abroad, and that was thought an excessive amount, and an unwise policy which was depleting the country of the capital so sorely needed for developing our own bountiful resources. But today we are importing more than three times as much a head of population as we did 50 years ago! The president of that first national conference of manufacturers in 1884. in his inaugural address, made some far-seeing remarks which ring equally true today. He said: “The half-miliion people that inhabit New Zealand are all liv-

ing on the fruits of the earth; but it takes only a sixth of the number to gather these fruits—the rest are camp followers who minister to the regular soldiers. Every fresh industry started benefits those already in existence, and the producer most of all. The policy of the Colony all through has been one of progress, to make of itself e nation; but WHAT NATION CAN EXIST IN THESE MODERN TIMES THAT IS COMPOSED ENTIRELY OF TILLERS OF THE SOIL AND SHEPHERDS OF SHEEP/ 1 NEGLECT OF MANUFACTURES Had our manufacturing development proceeded on parallel lines with land settlement since the day those remarks were made the Dominion would now be much nearer that early ideal of a self-reliant and self-dependent people in this little Britain in the South. But we have neglected our talents and resources in this all-im-portant direction, and are even more dependent on workers outside the country supplying us with our needs than we were 50 ago. Our manufacturers and their workers have had an endless struggle against the apathy, and often active prejudice, of our own people, who should be the first to support them in preference to aliens and outsiders. Fortunately that unaccountable bias is now disajv pearing as the purchasing public is becoming educated on the value of our local industries and the excellence of their products, but even greater efforts are called for to stop the dragging and drifting of the Dominion into the dangerous shoals of depression and poverty. It was refreshing to note that in addressing the Federation of Manufacturers yesterday the Min ister of Industries and Commerce was able to report a slight improvement and greater activity in

our local industries last year during the previous one. v»i paid increased by 4i p er ® ts and the value of our manuf, ctu nt ' products increased by 6.2 per ee/ d and last year’s output was vai/: at £93,000,000. utd But that rate of growth needs a inof speeding up before we ca a ** again on the track to national gress. Our unemployed must be / sorbed in productive work, a D( ) j semi-idle factories must be got |at full-time production. j? cannot afford so suicidal a urn las keeping the workers side countries busy fining orders while our own skilled work are idle, and if industrial ****»« was such a vital need of the cod!Z‘ 59 years ago it is even more n °j sary today, to provide fruitful I ploy ment for the rising ceueritS unless the country is to remain «, i standstill or drift into iiankrtm/ Commercial competition betw ! country and country is far keener, day than in former years .A countries which were purely agTarothen are busy manufacturing todi- L and ever seeking for more and m/' markets. Australia has closed / ; doors to imports of goods it can map ; for itself, and New Zealand with e | bad old habit of importing instead o' making is a tempting market for tho?. I nations seeking to dump their Burph. goods somewhere abroad. We cheek this inroad by tariff wale and legislation, hut we have the mi 1 edy In our own hands and in our ow, pockets by spending the money earn here on goods ihat are made h/ by our fellow New Zealanders, and to keeping that money in the country where it is so sorely needed when i everyone almost is complaining of a shortage of money. We are passing through storm? times, and helpless drift means dire peril. Our path to safety is by pm i ducing more wealth and giving ceroid and encouragement w» can to that local wealth producers who cater for | our wants. Concentrate on supporting local iidustries by buying our own goods j Help to push along our industrial , snowball and watch New Zealand grow i great and prosperous.