INDICTING THE GOVERNMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 August 1923, Page 4

INDICTING THE GOVERNMENT.

. ——«©»— STATE I.TTEREEIiENCE IX business. On several occasions roconfly we have thought it necesanry to direct intention to the dangerous and almost Bolshevik character of recent legislation, and the high-handed methods adopted | by the Government in respect to the ( importation of certain commodities, . notably wheat and flour and pollard and brail. V\'e condemned the A.cat I Control Board as an extravagant poll- ' tieal organisation endowed by Barba- < meat with vast powers of compulsion ; j,ml ciiereion. which the Board dare not ( exercise, and which the Government . j dare not authorise the Board to exeri < iso. for the authority of the Govern- | meat must ultimately he .secured. We urged repeatedly the formation oi a league or organisation of business men i to combat the insane and ecommmnlly ! dangerous proposals enmnatiug fro,a j se t ions of the fanning community, and apparently gladly endorsed by the Government. it is very graf.t\iiig .o i.to tisid that the f.-isiuess . omu.anity mis a; hist been aroused to the datigels o, the situation. At the monthly meeting of the C ouncil of the V. elu.igt-in ( I.amber of Commerce, held on Mnrulu.- - Of last. week. Air .1. E- -M«rt»ij. I \\'ri«£ht. Stvplieiisoii an<l Co.. •• I tiirc*( t<*<i atioiitimi to the ftitiifionm-i muJ Hire of the Dairy I’roduee Export Control Bill. U v::.s I ~.i that since slam!' I the p-olilieians have shown a su.gi|.ar:> 1 persi tot dispnsitn nto inter,en- wit.. | ibe i j-jiditu; and L-usiness cmerpt isos ot j! the Dominion. Ihe basis of all t'ds j I State ititerferomv is the foolish m.i mu \ that eeou anie laws ,an bo ' out roll." i I* v tbo legislate, ol tic Bariia’.ieiit ol 1 Now Zealand. What 1 .1- - ' rae oe, 1 at tbe moment i- more 'ram- am! 1 men a. and plenty of it : v.e ' e.m • >m,1 niedity prices to return f the pr-pm' 1 level: we want the world s • uri'clieU". J to he stabilised- b-'U lhe polllit ais are J bi-iii i.ni rest i ietiog tiv.de. oi prevent mg =1 eimimodino- prices ivlnriung to th-'ii | IM'aper leiel. of continuing uuemploy--I mei't and maintaining inilatiou. V. ith --J pools, subsidies, controls, and embargo ’5 they hope to aebeive their end. but the “j ultimate result ol their .-Holts- will be H I,; bring about ruin and chaos. -jj Mr I. I'. Martin, in his address di“6 re, ted himself more particularly In the = | Dairy Broduee Contrul Bill, and he J verv" properlv pointed mu that boards, j pools co-operative associations am! such J like bodies are usually composed ol 3 farmers. who. m> mattor now <m| .1 and ontor|>i‘isii:«£ thov mny ho in tin* □ of ll'-eir own (arms, . an[3 not. reasonably be expected to b.iv.Cl that gi'iiso and knowledge ot the m- □ tl'ieate and often delicate operations ol Cl linn tire and marketing that belongs to U 3 business men who have specialised in it foe years. No hoard i.r pool ean obtain a fraction more til any market than the (oe.imoditv is worth. Has ihe Meal Control Board, with its army of extra-va-utntlv paid oife inis and a peripatetic l .'iiticai chairman succeeded in loreing up the prill- of anv class of one frotten All that the Meat Board mis d 0,;., eoahl. and would have b-een ci toll -dished bv a couple ol lied servantanil al a fraction of the cost that the Meat Board is costing the < on. try. dr Martin sue* ceded in g'-l'.iug the ( hamper of Commerce to pass the following resolution : ‘•That the rights of any y.- non of the community to organise taliirmeii, hut tin- C humher is opposed in i-vt-rv way to Government rc- ■ pi-e-'.-niatiou on any such orgaiunation as such watihi. in the opiuj ion <-f Ibis Chamber. ultimately 'mean financial assistance, and thereimv a fiPther burden on the taxpayers. I This applies to the proposed Agricultural Bank Bill, the Dairy i’rndmi j Export- Control Bill, and lb-.-I p.i-al for a Slate and Brodni-.-i's' Snip. line with Government guaran-

l-'url her. that ihe above resol u- e u.,11 he sent to every Chamber oi o (otnnierte throughout New Zealand t with a retine-t that the « ompol.-ory ~ r biuses of ihe I')aii > Brodiiee Exp-no j. Mill 1.0 examined and such st-.-os Inki> considered a- cc.-mry l- pee- ' vet,i the Bill being placed cm thStatute Book of lit,- < -ittntry." ■ r n i- a pity that Mr A!-r! in did mo o .-'iihodv a demand for ihe rep-eal "I -he j Meat Export Control Act, I -or that v measure must ever he a menace. ior ii. fits v ith unerring exactness into the billion r I’arty’s objective of snrialisa--Ima of imlustre. Th- .Meat Control Board lets wide powers ol .-..mpidsnui. ' lOereioii. am! t-tut practically esi rc.powers Ol ctv.,ri i-at ion. end that it haunt exer.T-,ml I he-e powers, or has mil j been allowed t„ exercise them is beside . the point, the powers exist, and d t ne Board 1x not exeri ised them :L turns ' not idHow that some future Board will ' ~.,t i so. No hoard or body of lop-l'e- i sentatives or delegates, whether elected ~ or nominated by ibe ( n-wn -hca.u b- • ~

It is Imped that Hie otlcr C immb- r.--„t Commerce in the Dmuimon y, ill fit - i iuglv support the Ucllington ( I.amber of Commerce i.i its endetivour to pul at, end to Bolshevik k-gi-hiti o. Boiitieians, however, are not very muon tdarmed over resolutions, Mint they l', mr i, t 1,.. loss o!" votes at eb-tmu time, ami it may yet he necessary lor iljc business eo-nmuiiitv to form a oetcoee leagu-- with a political flavour lo combat the men,-..- of class legislation ior i! lit(*• ’s.