Traders Deplore State Interference

Chronicle (Levin), 10 May 1949, Page 5

Traders Deplore State Interference

Press Association)

( Per

AUCKLAND, May 9. Many qf'tlie present administratira difficulties, anomalies and bottlenecks in ihe conduct of business would noi aris.e if the training, experience and b'usines sense of traders were allowed more opportunity to function to thc beneflf of the communitv, as in th>pU'st. 'This opinion is expressed by th-; executiv-e :of the Associated Chambers of Commerce, A report states that the association was naturally eoncerned with the details of national administration which partieularly affeeted the conduct of business, and it assisted the authorities in straightening out difficulties. A return to traders of many of their functions, with such efficacy for the public that people seldom realised how the wheels went round, would settle many of these problems. A marked unreadiness by the authorities to rely on theQ knowledge and experience of business men or even consnlt them for their advice before embarking on policies which produced all sorts of repercussions and dislocations in trading activities, was also noted in the report. It stated that it was nol unknown for a former junior commer;ial employee to be elothed with civil service authority, and directing his former employers what they should do. National poliey was very often more political than economic and more wellmeaning than effective. Examples of this were full employment measures, often another name for induced labour shortages, which restricted essentinl production, penal taxation which slowed up or stopped the eommercial maehine, regulation of imporfS and manufacturing to the detriment of supply, and regualtion of prices which accentuated shortages and kept prices up and quality down. "No organisation which has regard for the smooth running of the nation 's business maehine can be satisfied with tinkering with effects, " adds the exeeutive. "In the interests of business and of the public who suffer from these dislocations and shortages, it must reach down to the causes and seek to remedv them. In doing this the chambers of commerce^ fmd themselves questioning the wisdom of Government poliey in a number of directions and challenging the effeetiveness of various controis, restrictions and prohibitions. Because the Government has chosen to make these things policv the chambers of commerce are dubbed by the Government and others as party-political organisations, which is absurd. "Apparentlv one can only avoid being described as party-political by supinely acquiescing in policies which run eounter to eommercial commonsense, and by side-stepping all responsibility for trying to put things right. Unfortunately as it may be, the Associated Chambers of Commerce will have to continue to carrv the unearned party-political label if that is the priee of continuing to do its job as it sees it, regardless of the colour of the party in power. ' '