MR. SULLIVAN'S REPLY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 71, 10 April 1937, Page 15

MR. SULLIVAN'S REPLY

Doubt Cast on Honesty of Ofi&cials In reply to .the statement made by Mr Mander, the Minister of Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D. G. Sujlj-' van) said: "Mr Mander found it neeessary to wait until he had retired from ihe office j of secretary of the Manufacturers' I Federation before making his^extravai gant eraticism of tb© policy pf the | Government in regard to its treatment , of considerations affecting the interests I of industry. "This warrants the conclueion that i Mr Mander's estimate pf 5 the competency pf the officers of the State Bepartments is npt shared by the resppnsible representatiye organisations of those interests with which he has been associated. The most regrettable aspect of Mr Mander's statement is that he casts doubt on the honesty of- the Public Service and the present and pest Governments, if not direcfly, eertaiffiy by implication. It is surprising indeed that this accusation was published by a responsi'ble Press. It seems to me to be blowing hot and cold to talk of respect for public officers in the same statement in which their honesty is impeached by suggestion, which I fjiink is only one degree worse than %o refpr to responsible public officers ia clerks, and to be scpmful o£ their oapacity to carry out an inteUigent inveetigation. "Mr Mander's statement that the opinions of the investigating officers are not mad© available to the business affected, and that the Bureau of Industry confines its investigetions to the examination of secret reports, is doubly at varianee with the facts. Jn nup,.' bers of cases the coucjusiops of a Department, together with suggestions concerniug the neeessary action that may or should be taken to meet the requirements of the position are cpmmunicated to those associated with the business concemed. As a matter of faot eonsultation with the afected interests is speeiaUy pfovided for ra the Industry Bfficiency Act, which was submitted to the Manufacturers ' Federation for frank comment, and surely it is much better qualificd by virtue of its vital interest to express an opinion as to the sentiments of those most respon-

sible and concerned. This organisation accepted the Act as it was finaily placed before parliament and passed into the law of the eountry, "As the Minister responsible for the administration of the Industrial Efficiency Act, I have used every suitable occasion to atate to the Bureau of Industry and the officers of my Department, in the most definite terms, that the administrative functions under the Act must be carried out on a basis of co-o.peration and consent, and the spirit of the Act, and the administration of the Government has been faitbfully preserved by the bureau ia this connection,