GROWTH OF INDUSTRIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 June 1938, Page 6

GROWTH OF INDUSTRIES

CHOICE BETWEEN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY.

VIEWS OF TARANAKI FARMER. (By Telegraph —Press Association. NEW PLYMOUTH, June 3. New Zealand was at the_ turning point of its career and the country had to decide whether it was going to en-

courage primary production or secondary industry, said Mr H. E. Blyde, president, at a conference of North Taranaki branches of the Farmers’ union. He said at present the trend was to discourage farming interests. Looking backward over the past 20 to 30 years, it was found that the rural population had steadily diminished in its ratio to the total population, and only the advent of machinery and science had enabled production to increase and be maintained. Literally millions of acres had gone out of production, and if the present trend of affairs continued many more acres, of second-class land at any rate, would become unproductive. Although farmers were in general becoming more efficient every year, he was afraid that, in spite of this, production of primary products, in handicapped or discouraged any more, would begin to decline.

New Zealand must decide whether it was in her interests to encourage primary or other production. It was not a question of merely helping the farmers or any other section. It was a question of vital importance to everyone in New Zealand, and upon thy answer depended the future prosperity of the country.