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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 28, No. 3. 1965.

Wages

Wages

Consider for instance, the following figures on wages and salaries, and company profits in New Zealand over the last twelve years.

wages and Salaries Company profits
£ m
1951-52 328 80
1952-53 348 78
1953-54 384 90
1954-55 431 97
1955-56 468 94
1956-57 495 98
1957-58 534 106
1958-59 558 110
1960-61 639 145
1961-62 682 143
1962-63 723 159
1963-64 776 179

Dr. Sutch, New Zealand's most prominent public servant was generally regarded as an inflexible opponent of any relaxation of import controls, and an advocate of "development in depth." During his reign as Secretary of the Department of Industries and Commerce he managed to persuade Governments of both parties to use import controls as a major weapon to promote industrial development in New Zealand. He was a vigorous and eloquent spokesman for the "mature economy" he wished New Zealand to become. However, most academic economist opposed his policies.

Income trends since import control reimposed, Index 1957-8

Behind the scenes, debate on the Sutch policy of import controls was bitter. His supporters regarded him as the man who began to push New Zealand into a modern era of industrial development. His opponents charged him with striving to achieve industrialisation at all costs, and doing more damage to the New Zealand economy than Khrushchev's virgin lands policy did to Russia. The anti-Sutch school pointed to the fact that be fore Dr. Sutch became Secretary of Industries and Commerce New Zealand had the third highest standard of living in the world By the end of the Sutch era New Zealand had slipped to sixth or seventh place.