STATE INTERFERENCE IN BUSINESS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 105, 20 May 1937, Page 5

STATE INTERFERENCE IN BUSINESS

Press Assoelation. X

Master Carriers Complain oi Railways PROTEST T0 MINISTER

(My Telegraph—

DUNEDIN, .LMt Night. | Th© question of Government^ interIference with private enterprise as exemplified by the activitles Of the Railway Department in undertaking the cartage of furniture Afcd perishable freight, which was contended to be the legitimate business of carrying firms, was mad© the subject of a longthy discussion at the annual conference of the New Zealand MaStCr OArriers' and ■Custoinhouse Agents' Asiociation today. Four remits, one from Otago and four from Christchurch, all bearing on the same subject, were discussed by delegatSB, the remits being as follows:— Otago.— "That consideration be given( to the question of Government competi-: tion in furniture remoVals, eustoxns andj fdrwarding work." Christchurch.— "That this amwcia-j tion wishes to drair the attention ofj ithe federation to the keen competitionj suffered by master carriers from railways regarding ftxrniture Work as far as Christchurch is conoerned. It can be noticed that furniture-packing is being done in 0 shed practically every day, Further, as regards tenders, even though a master carrier's tender is lower, instances are known of the Railways Department receiving the work." "That a strong protest shOxild be made in an endeavour .to have parcels delivery work again reverted to master carriers." ; "That the conference consider what! steps should be taken to prevent the1 Railways Department catering forcustoms work, espeeially in the North' Island where, it is cbnsidered, this practice is more prevalent than in the South. "

' ' That the conference consider appointing & deputation to wait upon the Minister concerned to see if some ifiprovement cannot be made in redation to Government trading against private enterprise." The Otago remit was introduced by Mr J. Henderson, wba said that the federation would have to devise ways and means to bring pressure to bear on the Government to prevent the encroachment of the Railways Department on the livelihood of cartage firms. In the field of furniture removing Government interference was iniquitous, and now that there was a proposal to stabilise the transport industry it . would seem that the Railways Department 's fear of competition would be , removed, and it should be requested to t discontinue its interference with town carriers in this respect. The Christchurch remits were supported by Mr T. E. Wiltshire, who out- 1 lined what he considered to be the un- 1 fair competition o£ the Railways De- | partment in furniture removals and in j customs work in that city. Mr L. Pearson (Masterton) suggested { that a deputation from the federation , should meet the Minister of Railways t and mahe strong representations for the • .eessation of the Department 's eneroach- j ment on the field of furniture removals. I J. H. Kirkwood (Dunedin) said that ' several deputations from the local asso- J ciation had met the Ministes, and although they had not received as mueh as they would have liked, the position in Dunedin had been to some extent improved. It was decided that a deputation wait upon the Ministers of Transport, Customs and Railways and make strtzxg representations to have interference by the Railways Department in furniture and Customshouse cartage removed.