GOVERNMENT POLICY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 June 1938, Page 10

GOVERNMENT POLICY

PRESENT-DAY OBJECTIVES “NOT SOCIALISATION” MINISTER’S REPLY TO RECENT CRITICISM

Criticism to the effect that standardisation and simplification constituted evidence of the socialisation objective of Government policy, was replied to by the Minister of Scientific and Industrial Research (the Hon D. G. Sullivan), in a statement.

[ “If an encouragement of the utilisation of these principles constitutes evi- [ dence of socialisation, then all the leading countries in the world are fast 1 moving towards this objective, most ! of them having made much more de- ! finite progress in this respect than has New Zealand,” said the Minister. “If approval and encouragement of the development of standardisation and simplification are to be regarded as irrefutable evidence of Socialist ; aims, then the Rt Hon G W. Forbes and the Government of which he was Prime Minister must have been imbued with the same purpose when the visit of Mr C. E. le Maistre, Director of the British Standards Institution, to this Dominion was sponsored by the Government in 1931-32. This conclusion is justified, as Mr Forbes is on record as saying that he ‘felt that standardisation would certainly prove of great benefit to New Zealand and to the development of Empire trade.’ “In this, Mr Forbes was in good company, for the visit of Mr le Maistre was made possible by the assistance of his Majesty’s Treasury and the Empire Marketing Board upon the recommendation of the Board of Trade, on the ground that it would ‘greatly assist , in carrying out the recommendations

of the Imperial Conference, 1930.’ “The same evidence as adduced by , the writer of the article to prove that j the policy of the present Government is one of socialisation would make these institutions, therefore, subscrib- ’ ers to the same objective,” the Minis- • ter continued. “Indeed, it could be ’ used to show all leading Governments s in the world—including the last New ; Zealand Government, all those dele- ] gates that have attended Imperial Con- j ferences from 1926 onwards, in addi- , tion to the leading technological, in- , dustrial, scientific, business, and trade ’ organisations throughout the world, and the compilers of the most authori- 1 tative publications, including the ‘En- 1 cyclopedia Britannica,’ are striving' to 1 attain the same end. 3 ] VIEWS OF CONFERENCES. } “As far back as 1927, the advantage i of standardisation and simplification t was urged by the World Economic j Conference held at Geneva in the fol- ( lowing terms: —“The Conference considers that one of the principal means of increasing output, improving condi- r tions of labour, and reducing costs of ' production is to be found in the £ rational organisation of production and i distribution. t “The report of the conference on standardisation adopted by the Im- f perial Conference, 1930, emphasises the j importance of the recommendations in this connection which had been adopted by the Imperial Conference of 1926 1 and 1927, and typical of the references *- to the subject is the following extract: “The Conference is of opinion that, c with a view to the promotion of eco- t nomy in production and distribution to s the advantage of both manufacturers t and consumers throughout the Commonwealth, and also as a preliminary t to standardisation in suitable cases, it £ is desirable that all practicable steps should be taken by the appropriate 1 bodies in each part of the Common- ' wealth to promote wherever possible industrial simplification, by co-opera- s tion between consumers, distributors, i and manufacturers.” ; “NATIONAL MARK.” * “A further extract from the same re- , port, under the heading of ‘National ( Mark, reads as follows: —“The Confer- ‘ ence recommends that each standardising body should adopt a mark or ' brand to be supplied under the licence 1 and control of such body to goods ' which comply with standard specifica- ; tions issued by it and are produced or manufactured within the territory ; which it covers; and should take the , necessary steps to secure for such mark , or brand the full protection of law ‘ throughout the British Commonwealth ' of Nations, whether by its registra- 1 tion wherever possible as a standard- • isation trade mark or in some other 1 appropriate way.” “We have also given consideration to the question of that form of standardisation known as simplification. By simplification we mean the reduction of variety of sizes, dimensions, and immaterial differences in everyday commodities, with the object of eliminating waste and reducing cost of production. It also reduces the quantity and variety of stocks which must be held by distributors and should result ultimately in a reduction of price to the consumer without depriving him of any essential need. It offers other important advantages,, such as ease of handling and readiness of replacement. We recognise the standing importance of simplification for the Dominions and India, where a reduction in types is a valuable means towards the provision of satisfactory ’service’ facilities. In the ; United Kingdom, also, in spite of cer- , tain difficulties due to the position of ' manufacturers in relation to the world ; market, there appears to be no doubt ■ that greater simplification would in many directions prove most valuable." i PREVIOUS ENDORSEMENT. “These resolutions were again en- : dorsed at the Imperial Economic Con- ' ference held at Ottawa in 1932. It will I be seen, therefore, that the past New ’ Zealand Government, through their re- ; presentatives at the successive Imperial : Conferences, on no less than four oc- 1 casions soundly agreed that the de- ] velopment of standardisation and sim- i plification was essentially to the best 1 interests of every section of the community and the Empire as a whole. “According to the criticism to which i

I refer,” said the Minister, “these are trifling considerations to sacrifice in order to satisfy unrestrained political prejudice. The fact is, that the present Government is carrying out undertakings entered into, but never discharged, by its predecessors. Here is offence enough to earn the censure and contumely of a Press that proclaims with another voice its concern for the real welfare of the Dominion, the Empire, and its peoples. “In fact, the development of standardisation and simplification has so demonstrated its advantage that it should be encouraged and supported by all to whom the consideration of the social and economic welfare of the nation is of vital concern. Sir Charles HowellThomas, K.C.8., C.M.G., Permanent Secretary of the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries of the United Kingdom, when speaking to the Rotary Club at Birmingham on January 26. 1931, said in his opening remarks that the production of uniform and standardised commodities had been achieved through the evolution of business into large units. The policy of the scheme was advocated by all political parties and not only was it sound statesmanship, but it was also good business. It had been developed and was being applied commodity by commodity after full investigation and discussion with the various interests concerned.”

Mr Sullivan added that it was just that method that was being adopted in New Zealand.