PERMANENT POLICY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 February 1939, Page 5

PERMANENT POLICY

MINISTER’S ASSURANCE TO MANUFACTURERS CONCESSIONS TO CONTINUE. SKILLED LABOUR PROBLEM. ''By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, February 21. “Manufacturers can be perfectly certain that the concessions made in their favour are going to continue, and that the Government is not going to depart from its policy of the development of industry," said the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr Sullivan, at a luncheon tendered by the Auckland Manufacturers’ Association today. Mr Sullivan said the ability displayed in building up the primary industries had never been surpassed, but he was satisfied that even greater things were destined to be achieved in the development of manufacturing. New opportunities. had been opened and there was every indication that the manufacturers were realising developments that were possible. If manufacturers extended their factories and expanded their industries they could do so in the certainty that the Government was not going to change its mind in the policy it had adopted. It was a permanent policy and not one merely adopted to tide over the present position. Even if the overseas situation, had not arisen the Government would have started on a policy in some form or other that would have given industries the opportunity ef expansion. A committee from the bureau of industry was investigating applications by manufacturers to import raw materials, continued the Minister. It was carrying out its duties sympathetically and with a full appreciation of the need to develop industry. The Minister of Customs, Mr Nash, was adopting a most generous attitude and neither he nor the Customs Department had refused anything the committee had asked through the Department of Industries and Commerce. Mr Sullivan said he was in consultation with the Minister of Labour, Mr Webb, on the question of providing sufficient skilled labour. They were also combining with the Education Department, which had appointed a committee to consider the question of training labour. “Though the question has not yet been considered by Cabinet, it may be Accessary for Mr Webb and myself to devise some system of subsidy to ensure that young men will be trained in industry," added Mr Sullivan. “It will be clear to all that a heavy responsibility is placed on both employers and employees in industry in New Zealand ' to see that advantage is taken of the ■ opportunities presented to develop the j industrial resources of the country.’' i