STATE AND MUNICIPAL TRADING.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 March 1923, Page 1

STATE AND MUNICIPAL TRADING.

GROWING DISFAVOUR. AT HOME AND ABROAD, i (Special to "Guardian"). r WET,KINGTON, March 28. i During his recent visit to England i and the Continent, Air J. B. MaeKwan said in the course of an interview- yesterday. he had been much struck by the growing disfavour in which State and Municipal control were held in

the older countries by both workers and employers. He did not pretend to have heard the le-t word on the subject, but he had discussed ii with many people in various stations of life and iilvny.-, had be.-it led la the same conclusion. in ( iiiad i and America, in England and Kran , .c..in Germany and Russia, in every country in Europe, indeed, the exigencies of the war had compelled the authorities to take a hind in the control of industries and Mil vices almost exeryw here. The Governments had their lingers in everv coiiceival'le pie that was going. This, of course, was inevitable. Mr .Mac.Kuan went >.n lu say. 'Private enterprise, could not conduct the military operations of such a. war as was convulsing Europe eight or nine years ago. Still there were many people the advocates of wholesale nationalisation— hoping that the necessities and the experiences of the war would lead to the widespread adoption of community control in time of pence. But the necessities and experiences of the war. so far as .Mr Mac Ewan was able to judge during his travels, had had an exactly opposite effect. Semi-mili-tary control, however, may not have been so idealistic ns State and Municipal control and Mr Mac Ewan did not wish to in-ess its shortcomings as a horrid example. The information lie had concerned community control of various kinds in times cf pe.ue. Here he found much lo establish the superiority of properly regulated private enterprise. The story was the same in Canada, in the United States, in England, in France and in the other countries he had visited. State and I Municipal undertakings were made to j appear to tloiirish for a time by the aid j of various privileges in the shape of cheap capital, special facilities and e:;clilsive conccs'ions; bul in the long run (he community came to realise that their prosperity was fictitious j and their profits delusive. The representations made (a .Mr MaeKwan were : that the undertakings failed to attract the best workers of any class - either j ws.rkers hv hand or !>v lav ! and that ; they succumbed in the great majority j of cases, simply because they could let give the .-nme efficient sc-rviics as was rend -re 1 by private enterprise, j Where the undertaking was a mono- I polv it missed not only the spur cf competition, but also the incentive of ambition. Where it was pitted against plicate undertakings uf the same kindit failed because of its inferior equip- j nn-nt and its lack of sustained enthusiasm. "Then* are reitain services which are properly the monopoly cf , the State." Mr Mac Ewan said in dismissing the subject, “but trading eu- 1 terpriscs, speaking generally, arc not among them, and the experience of j idand in Go-, ie-jct i- the j expei imier of all Ihe older i oimtrics rmruipiOTEiw-jwascjOTrarraasasa