Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1943. INDUSTRIES AND A BETTER LIFE.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 February 1943, Page 2

Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1943. INDUSTRIES AND A BETTER LIFE.

people are now agreed that if this country is to enjoy economic and political security in that broader and fuller age of which Mr Churchill has spoken—an age to which we hope the way is being opened even in the stress and tragedy of war—it must build up its population, and that rapidly. This, means, amongst otjier things, an expansion of industry —most certainly of primary industry.in the extent to which that is practicable, but also, and probably in a much greater degree of secondary or manufacturing industry. Where industries in the last-mentioned category are con-, cerned, foundations have been and are being laid in this country, as in a good many others, in war time, on which a great deal will be built when peace has been re-established. How far this development will make for the opening of a broader and fuller age for the present and future population of the Dominion is meantime, however, open to question. One of the worst weaknesses of our national organisation, or want of organisation, is a ruling tendency to -pack human beings unwisely and unprofitably into four main centres of population. The resultant evils are to be seen in increasingly cramped and congested living and working conditions in our principal cities and even in some of the attempts that are being made to ease and relieve this state of affairs —for instance proposals that more and more of the people of our cities should be housed in great blocks of residential flats. It is not by herding people into warrens that we shall build a better national future. Inoperative reasons thus appear for going very seriously into the question brought before the Masterton Borough Council at its meeting on Tuesday evening in a circular letter from the Timaru Borough Council—that of the desirability of establishing industries in the secondary towns oFNew Zealand to prevent the drift of population to the four large centres. The only exception to be taken to this suggestion is that the question raised might well be considered from a still more open standpoint. What should be aimed at is the establishment and development of industries in whatever locations, urban or rural, will be most advantageous from the point of view of the present and future welfare of the Dominion and its people. In these days of good roads and, save in war time, ample facilities for rapid and convenient transport, there need be no hardship whatever and there may be great advantages for all concerned, in establishing factories and housing settlements in areas now rated ias rural. Whatever may be done by our central governing authorities to foster and facilitate a beneficial decentralisation of industry, a call certainly is made in this matter upon the initiative and enterprise of provincial and rural communities. As was recognised broadly at the meeting of the Masterton Borough Council at its meeting on Tuesday evening, the Wairarapa has its full share of opportunities and possibilities in this category. Some elements of public policy are involved in which district local bodies ought to take a practical interest, but the matter is very largely one for an enterprising lead by individuals. There is good scope in this district for the. development of new industries and branches of industry, particularly those related to primary production—the manufacture of plasties may be an outstanding example. It is very much in the interests of the district and the Dominion that the total field of possible industrial development, in conditions making for the. highest attainable degree of human welfare, should be examined methodically, as a preliminary to enterprising action.