AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEIZE.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 January 1939, Page 4

AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEIZE.

WHILE it has various undertakings in hand, the Department

of Industries and, Commerce could render no better or more timely service to this country than by taking a directly practical interest in the state of affairs touched upon in a cablegram from London yesterday which reported an announcement by the Czech Refugee Committee that “eight former German industrialists are anxious to rol'otind their industries in England and ‘her Dominions, bringing (‘Xpert labour, machinery and small capital. The industries (it was added) include the manufacture of bed and table linen, curtains, hosiery, knitted goods, earthenware, chinaware, mother of pearl buttons, agricultural implements and women’s fancy shoes.. ”

Some, at least, of these industries no doubt would be a very valuable acquisition indeed to New Zealand. Why should we not offer the new home they desire to some of the displaced industrialists of Central Europe and groups of expert workers, who would themselves be desirable citizens and as time went on ■would train New Zealanders for the industrial enterprises we are so far as yet from having developed on the scale that is desirable.' An exercise of initiative in this matter today may be expected to lead to great and lasting national gains. The circumstances that exist at present in Europe, with highly organised industrial communities broken up and exiled from their homelands as victims of persecution, are closely analogous to those of the days in which some of England’s leading industries were established by Elemings and others, admitted as refugees.