GOVERNMENT PRINTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 223, 20 September 1928, Page 18

GOVERNMENT PRINTING.

HOT A STATE MONOPOLY.

PREMIER QUITE EMPHATIC. 4

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, Wednesday,

Constant complaint is made by Labour members in Parliament over certain classes of official printing being executed by private firms. They revived the question when the Government Printing Office report was presented to-day, the principal causes of irritation being the private printing of the "Railway Magazine" and Government publicity work. Exception was taken also to references in the "Publicity Magazine," which, in the opinion of the Opposition Leader, were good advertisements for the Reform party. The Prime Minister replied with an emphatic declaration that he would not agree to the policy of the Government Printing Office monopolising all Sta£e printing. He asked if members realised that in New Zealand there was sufficient rapital and plant in the printing industry to supply the printing needs of nearly double the population. If the Government decided to go into competition with private printers it would mean further increases in the large capital outlay. There was a line of demarcj; tion on which the Government must work. It, would never do to lay down that the Government must do all its own printing. The economic position must be recognised, nnd it would be wrong of the Government to ignore the capital cost of the efficient plants and groups of rren employed in private printing offices. Ihe Government office was necessary primarily for Parliamentary work, the documents which were private, and matter which was primarily departmental. the wor'l f i : F ; Ven Whe " th *y ™do The work cheaper? J!!? P T rime . Mini f t -v: That is not the point. Tmng.ne that we could do the TnT, f. h °" rrV - Wo " ,d <hat *'fair? This Government does not intend to rnter into competition with other great print.n ? offices with hundreds and tW and* invested. It would not do to destroy then because one State offi!.! might do all the Government work 6 Answwins:i question. Mr. Coates said he be , ever! that the whole cost of State regulated prices, and when that was done the proper chafes for interest and other factors wore nu.do \s fnr «..11 I adrertisirie of m„' r . for the »ll«g«d »i i nis njr ot „. Government in offiJj -- t,n^ rt «i!ft*Ji he country, and if those who controlled the magazines thought his speeches interesting they could quote them "We don't want the Prime Minister's Picture on every page » complained Mr Parry. "Why not? Tf s a good picture." retorted Mr. p. Jones. "It's a good picktm *"?. S ,VM a greater feeling of staWlty than the picture of the hon. gentleman.