The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1916. POST-WAR INDUSTRY.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 30 November 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1916. POST-WAR INDUSTRY.

(With which is incorporated The Taihapc Post and Waimarino News).

Mr. J. A. iFrostiok is almost as wellknown in manufacturing and industrial circles'.in this Dominion as Mr. Massey is in, political. He is one of the foremost a,nd best trusted leaders in industrial matters that employers can boast of. Whatever he may be in the industrial realm it will be through long years of evolution from experience to experience. He has written and spoken from time to time for many years past upon the current and future condition of trade, manufactures, labour and trade unionism generally. As a representative man and as a successful employer of labour his utterances and writings have indicated that his views were the result of hard-thinking and a judicial temperament. He is the proprietor of a boot factory in Christchurch, and no man could be more deeply concerned for the welfare of the boot industry and the many operatives who work therein than Mr. Frostick is, and has been. As President of the Christchurch branch of the New Zealand Board of Industries, his foresight and judgment in disclosing what must be in the near future is convincing, so much so that his remarks upon the subject of “Post-War Industrial Reconstruction” have been published by the Christchurch branch of the Board of Industries, and are being distributed fiee of cost, to anyone who cares to ask for them. Mr. Frostick says that attempts have been made from time to time to induce the people of this country to consider the employment problem on broad, national lines, but individual interests have divided Unpeople on this great question, and the national aspect has been overshadow®d. Opr industries have been simple tolerated, and used as a convenience or step-gap, wiU’ ’-.-snlf. ri-iat n~pr iv ml rv >'iinoip.gi have dnftO'h <: v’■ ( • *'-<i <■! ’•■■•^.prnesp.

or the selfish indifference of the people. National self-reliance was the policy of John Ballance thirty years ago; Parliament has, however, followed the lines of least resistance until just before the war, the public debt of this country per /head of population had grown to six times greater than that of England. New Zealand, says Mr. Frostick, is rich in opportunity, but the people spend jivith a frightful prodigality, which, if not stopped, must lead to serious financial difficulties. He realised that the lethargy of the people was so deep-seated that no words of his would have any effect unless other business menj added the weight of their words and influence. The immediate future of the industries of New Zealand and the employment of our people is the problem of this country at the present time. Mr. fi rostick asks, “Will it be said of buyers and consumers that they took no heed of the situation, but continued to import their 24 millions’ sterling worth of goods regardless of the claims of our own 80,000 men who fought our battles and saved our country?” He is satisfied that the time has come when we must think and act as a community. The order of things is rapidly passing away when every man considered himself only, quite regardless of the interests of others; and although there may be many who still shield themselves by saying, “It is the way of the world, it always was so, and will continue.” If these good people will look a little deeper into the subject they will see that the old order is changing—the whole world is becoming a democracy. There is less anxiety in Germany for her. military future than there is for the opportunity to start her industrial programme afresh. It is the right of the people of this or any other selfgoverning country to determine their own standard of living, and, having fixed it, protect it. Everyone in the country participates in that standard, and, .having so participated, they should, of their own free will, refrain.

from spending their money in the purchase of goods made under a lower standard. ,We therefore contend that to put a protective duty upon such goods is no injury to anyone other than the selfish man who is not prepared to give on the same basis as he receives. It is only by following such a course can we hope to shut out the disaster that must follow on continued, importation of Gorman goods, and goods made in other countries where the standard of living is much lower than in New Zealand. We all take v a part in fixing the standard of living, and the person who deliberately purchases anything that militates against it is a traitor to his country.