STURDY SELF RELIANCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1028, 19 July 1930, Page 7

STURDY SELF RELIANCE

A REAL NATIONAL POLICY

tORD BLEDISLOE’S ADVICE j In times of difficulty the advice Of qualified experts will often point to the source of trouble and suggest an effective remedy. New Zealand is passin_ through a difficult and serious crisis at the present time, and no one could bear us more goodwill than our worthy Governor-General. With his wide experience of world politics and problems, his suggestle.'oc as to how we can best deal with our own difficulties here are entitled to the serious consideration of all thinking people. In speaking at the opening of the Wellington Winter Show, hia Excellency laid stress at the outset on our tendency to look to the Government of the day to cure all the economic ills we suffer from, aud when the remedy lies in the hands of individual citizens it seems foolish for all citizens to wait for Parliament to do something. The official figures show that our exports are increasing in volume, but declining in price, and our external trade is suffering in comparison with other vears. It is not because our farmers are producing less food-stuffs and raw materials that we are feeling the pinch If hard times, but a slump in prices ,f primary products has given the dominion a severe setback. keep down imports While our farmers and pastoralists ■•ave been doing their bit. and are showing a substantial increase in their volume of contribution to the national wealth-production of the Dominion, our internal output from local industries ha* been either stationary or on the decline, whilS imports have Increased in volume and value. Lord Bledisloe is one of the front rank authorities on agricultural production in Britain, and might naturally be expected to show an agricultural bias, but he now emphasises the need for New Zealand to rely not only on the production of raw products to maintain the prosperity of the country, but to get busy making for ourselves more of the goods we now import, and which could be manufactured here by our own Idle workers from our own materials. NECESSITIES AND LUXURIES While we may not be abl9 economically to produce many of the luxuries we how Import, there is no question about our capacity to manufacture many million pounds’ worth of necessities now made for U 3 by workers of other countries, and it is here that his Excellency points the people to a neglected source of wealth, and appeals to every man, woman and child to help all in their power to develop this most valuable asset to Its utmost capacity. By supporting our own industries and employing our own labour to manufacture our materials into finished articles, we are adding to the wealth and national income of the country just as much as if we produced that wealth ourselves. Our own skilled workers can only secure and keep their jobs just so long as the people buy their goods, and we might as well go to the factory and give those workers the sack, as go to the shops and stores purchasing goods made by outside workers when we can get equal or better value from the skill and artistry of our fellow New Zealanders. Both Lord Bledisloe and his predecessor in office, Sir Charles Fer--usson are good judges and acute observers, and both have considered it their duty to impress on New Zealanders the foolish manner in which they pursue a policy of importing instead of producing, because they could not help noticing that we are the people who import more per head of population than any other country in the world. The amount of customs iax per head paid by the people of the United Kingdom is less than 15s, of South Africa just a penny over 15s. a head each year. But in New Zealand every head of population pays U2s 4d each year as customs duty, instead of doing a duty in supporting tellow workers in our own local industries—and we pay 7s 2d a year more than the Australians. INCREASED SELF-RELIANCE Both Lord and Lady Bledisloe have appeared before us proud to wear the products of our local Industries, as did Sir Charles and Lady Alice FernUsson before them, and when our Vice-Regal representatives express themselves as more than satisfied with the quality and service of the good -New Zealand goods they buy, it is amazing to find that our imports of clothing and footwear continue to increase, while the output of our own mills, tanneries, and factories continue to Bhow a falling off, and their workers are often partially or wholly out of employment. ~*E PEOPLE OF PARLIAMENT Many will sympathise with our vi, industrialists, and say that l arliament ought to do something to stop it. But every shopper and every buyer has the remedy on the tip of his own tongue, and the means of stopping it in his own pocket, by ordering and spending his money on goods made by our own trained artisans in preference to buying the Products of paupe. labour from overseas. Parliament may be able to do much t 0 foster and safeguard our JJdustries. but while Parliament is ~“ m 8. good tradesmen are walking ** streets because we will not buy ahiit they aro anxious and able to Produce. GlVfc YOUTH A CHANCE Only on Thursday the writer saw a b teuc of splendid and brainy-looking \ JJJJff lads, lined up in front of a -JUding not a biscuit-throw from The “"Offices in Albert Street. There , “y have been some 40 or 50 lads for a vacancy where there " "Youth Wanted.” Only one could ha ii Vet there was not one in line who did not give the impression , be could be trained into a ■ ued producer of wealth, and add i, ** uota by his craft to the national goffi? 6 w hich keeps the country We talk of raising the school 9* by a year, and this, for a year, • *ase the ever-increasing and gritful demand of our youth to B its part in the building up of •’**"‘ re, iant people by becoming **"t of its producing factors But _>ear later and these youths will £®J ,n be knocking at the door of Tjustry, only they will be a year , * r> * n d more highly trained in "chnical and sc.entitle knowle.ij;* !C 9*tinue* ir res » if lew

and should be worth more as a (national asset which we should be proud to possess. The only way in which the gate j way to industry can be flung open to ; our eager and willing workers is by t keeping the wheels busy inside: by ex- ' panding existing industries and start •[ ing up new ones. The first step in that | direction is a hearty and wholeI souled co-operation with our local workers by buying their goods when- : ever and where an opportunity occurs. The materials, machinery, ; brains, and labour are here to supply our wants. Why not avail ourselves ' of them to the uttermost? Depressfor , and hard times will soon disappear i with the local factories busy hives of 1 ever-increasing production. If money lis scarce, why make it scarcer by , sending it overseas to pay the wages of outside workers when our own sadly need the cash? The right road to self-reliance is i to feed, and clothe, and furnish for 1 ourselves by our own labour. Get Busy Buying New Zealand Goods And Bring Back Proaperity For All!