Dear Sir,

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 21, 6 September 1946, Page 4

Dear Sir,

Letters to the Editor must be clearly written on one side of the paper only and where a

nom-de-plume is used the name, of the writer must be included " for reference purposes. The Editor reserves the right to abridge, amend or withhold any letter or letters.

TRANSPORT LICENSING Sir, —Your two correspondents “Live and Let Live” and “Blowout” are to be commended. What is becoming so clear now is that immediately we try and regulate or control we immediately eliminate competition and create monopoly, the very thing we disapprove ’ of. Obviously our ideas have been wrong. We have got to get into our minds that the main consideration is* the public or the consumer and that, the needs of the people can only be provided under the free competitive system, for any industry or business has the right to exist only in so far as it gives service. Once the idea of control or regulation prevails then the whole position is reversed and such business or industry no longer exists for the benefit of the community but merely for the benefit of those who own • or control the industry and the few who are employed, therein. The whole wretched system we have in,troduced is to vest privileges in the hands of a few, to bolster up inefficiency for no concern which does not have to stand up to the test of competition can remain efficient. At the same time by creating monopoly and privilege other members of the community and future generations are to be deprived of all hope of advancement in life. Yours etc.,

DEMOCRAT.

STATE HOUSES AT EDGECUMBE L > Sir,—My attention has been call--1 ed to a statement made by the Chairman of Directors of the Rangitaiki Dairy Factory re housing. He said “protractive negotiation with the Government had been fruitless.” Noty let us go back to 1937 when Mr C. Burnett represented Tauranga cqnstituory. In that year the Labour Party Branch in Edgecumbe held a meeting to ascertain the number desiring houses. Those attending were practically all factory employees or their wives. Mr Burnett then approached Mr McCracken to discuss the position and suggested, if the Dairy Company would build six or eight houses the Government would do likewise. What was Mr McCracken’s attitude then, when houses could be built for very much less than today. He absolutely refused to accept this reasonable proposal. His reason for the statement at the annual meeting was political. His hostility to the present Government is so bitter that his memory fails him when it Fortunately some of us have retentive memories and recollect what the previous Government failed to do when in office, in connection with housing. I would like to know if it is the duty of the Government to build houses for private or cooperative companies.

Yours etc., • D. ALEXANDER,. Hon. Secy., Labour Party, Edge- • cumbe.