PERSONAL FREEDOM

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 225, 20 June 1944, Page 4

PERSONAL FREEDOM

One Of Hopes For PostWar World CALL TO EMPLOYERS A call to members of the Wellington Employers’ Association to strive for increased production and for a return as soon as possible to conditions of freedom for competition and individual initiative and choice of occupation, was made by the president of the association, Mr. Bercy Coyle, at its annual meeting yesterday. Mr. Coyle said everything tended to show that Britain and her Allies were well on the road to victory, which all hoped would bring freedom to the peoples of the world. Not only should nations be freed from oppression and be able to live in peace within their respective countries and with their fellownations. but employers should look forward to, and strive to obtain that freedom so necessary to permit individuate to exert their ability and enterprise, and progress without unnecessary restriction. Necessary as war restrictions were, people should look forward and plan for the future when the war ended. War restrictions had caused men, women and children to be directed as to what they must do to earn a living, and also where they might go to earn that living, but with the end of the war in sight, there should be a general desire by progressive people to cherish the day of peace and freedom of workers to accept work according to their personal desires and freedom for employers to obtain materials and to manufacture goods for the needs of the people, and to enter into open competition with one another in order to demand recognition for the good quality of their respective wares.

Jn the past success for nations as well as for individuals’ had been brought about by individual study, effort and determination. A nation could only be as strong as its people made it, and we in New Zealand as a people could only be as good as we made ourselves, at our work in industry, in the goods we manufactured and produced. “It is unfortunate that war legislation and emergency regulations with their compulsion on people, and on the uses of materials, are apt to make us lose some of our self-reliance and become used to being servants without opportunity to step out and enter into enterprises which have not only made the men of old, but will again m-ke the men of the future,” said Mr. Coyle, who quoted from the annual report. “The suggestion is made to employers that when peace is declared there will be many problems facing industry. and it becomes one and all to remain closely associated, bearing in mind the need that will exist when the war ends for people and traders to eo-operate fully in an endeavour to get back to normal trading conditions. Viewing trade and commerce as a whole, controls cannot but have the effect of bringing about a state of stagnation, which may eventually break down and precipitate a crisis in industry. Let us. therefore, do our utmost as business people to safeguard the general interest, and not assist in permanently establishing conditions that have been deemed necessary only as war measures.” “Summing up the future, it appears that an effort should be made to produce more of our primary products,” said Mr. Coyle. “The war has created a labour problem for the farming community, and likewise the taxation that has been imposed, together with the emergency and other laws that have recently been enacted, such as the Land Sales Act, all tend to force the producer to change his methods, and unfortunately have a psychological effect on the human race. For instance, the Land Sales Act, to some extent, restricted men from taking up more'land, and therefore, must restrict production. In the past, men were able to build up their farms by extension of their land areas, and therefore production was increased by that added effort. There is no gainsaying that we in this Dominion have built .up our national position, and our progress is due principally through the efforts of our farmers, as without our primary produce we should have nothing to sell or offer in return for the goods we require to import. I can do nothing better than to call on one and all to exert every effort to produce more and more, as by our efforts only shall we receive reward.” When the war was over some adjustment should be forthcoming with respect to New Zealand taxation, in order that it might be able to compete in the world’s markets with other nations, All Government taxation costs had to be added to the cost of goods manufactured, and thus increased the cost of production and distribution. Therefore, after the war, some restraint should be placed on war taxation. If exports did not increase substantially, thus making more money available to provide’ payment of war expenses overseas, the amount of goods that could be purchased for consumption in New Zealand would become less, and the standard of living must decline.