ALTERED CONDITIONS THE PARTING OF THE WAYS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 86, 12 April 1911, Page 7

ALTERED CONDITIONS THE PARTING OF THE WAYS.

RESTRICTIVE .LEGISLATION. In tho course of his annual address to the Chamber of Commerce this afternoon, the president (Mr. H. C. Tewsley) made further reference to the subject of restrictive legislation, which was mentioned in the annual report of tho council of the chamber. It was hoped, he said, that the Prime Minister would be able to receive a deputation to impress upon him the necessity for restricting industrial legislation for a while. It has been felt for some considerable time that too much legislation has been indulged in, and that the country is deluged with ill-digested laws leading to confusion and misunderstandings which i might be avoided. In this connection jit might be* of interest to note how ■ Australia is suffering from restrictive [ legislation through its Arbitration Court. ! A isTg-e finn of merchants there — Messrs. D. and W. Murray, through their Mr. Roberts — said that last year the volume of the import of boots and shoes into Australia was about £100,000 more than in 1909. One of the. principal causes ■ft as the increase in wages fixed by Mr. Justice Kiggins in the Arbitration i Court. This was* the outcome of ia- ! cres-sed wages, and consequently the imported article is coming more largely into competition with 1 the local article. On being asked if- tho imports were likely to increase. Mr. Roberts said : "I see nothing else for it; they are steadily increasing so fax this year, and I think I am well within the mark when I estimate that the value of imported boots for 1911 will be £200,000 more tlta-n 1910, which would meaai a decrease in the wages sheet of £60,000." There is no doubt that under existing circumstances it is almost impossible to persuade capitalists to invest in large labour employing concerns. MODERATE MEN IN PARLIAMENT. At a later stage of his speech, Mr. Tewsley said :—"ln: — "In political life, it appears to many thinking people that we are at the parting of the ways. The organisation of the New Zealand Labour Party indicates a strong effort will ere long be made to return candidates pledged to support a platform the principal plank of which appears to be the public ownership of all means of production, distribution, and exchange. There is no doubt that such a plank ia the beginning of what is generally known as Socialism, and that such should be opposed by those whose interests ar© identified with the industrial pursuits of the Dominion. There is undoubtedly a growing change in the views of political parties, and to such an extent is this evident that to those watching the tread of events the old lines of demarcation between Government parties are disappearing. This gradual altered condition of things leads one to think that the time has come for the moderate men in Parliament to join together and form a solid party, which would command a large majority, ?,nd woidd make for stable government and give a greater sense of security, thus inducing the- N investment of capital, and bring about a period of prosperity unheard of previously in New Zealand.