WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 14 February 1927, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

UNFAIR DISCRIMINATION

PRIVATE ENTERPRISE PROTESTS

(Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON. February 11. An old-standing grievance private enterprise lias against niunieipal and State trading was reventilated at the third annual meeting of the Gas Institute of New Zealand held here on Wednesday. Sir Harold Beauchamp, supporting a similar protest recently made by the Chairman of the Auckland Gas Company, denounced the gross unfairness of exempting municipal electric lighting schemes from every form of municipal and State taxation, while gas companies, and electric lighting concerns, run by private enterprise were taxed to the very utmost limit of the graduated scale. Private enterprise did not urge that gas companies should he exempt from any form of taxation that could he reasonably imposed- but it demanded in fairn'ess and honesty that municipal and State undertaking of the same character should be subject lo the same, tribute. The effect of the present discrimination was that the munieinal and State concerns, relieved from the great burden of taxation the proprietary concerns had to earrv. could sell at rates which would he below the cost of production had they their fair share of taxation to hear. The discrimination seemed so preposterous. Sir Harold said that he could not see how it was tolerated for a single day hv politicians professing to he the bulwarks of popular rights and by a public seeking lihertv and justice. THE WOOL COMMITTEE.

The plain sneaking of the “ New Zealand Herald” in regard to “government bv Ordor-in-Cmuicil ” and the multiplication of “control boards” is finding very general approvel here, ur'ders-in-Councilstated a good Reformer this morning, provide such a simple way of regulating the affairs of tlie country that, if the electors are agreeable, it might he well to return, say. ten or twelve .Ministers at next general election and leave them to “ carry on ” without the cost and worry of a Parliament. This jest is becoming a little stale, but its reiteration bv 'politicians of different colours is significant. The demand of the Auckland morning-paper that the Woo] Committee should he immediately dissolved and a return made to the conditions which prevailed before the war, however, does not appeal to either a majority of the wool growers or a majority of the wool buyers here. A mnjorltv of the growers in the Wellington province, at any rate, are well satisfied with the arrangements made for the disposal of their produce, ami believe tliev are obtaining better returns than they would have done under the old conditions. The buyers, tor their part, appreciate the more orderly offerings that have been instituted by the committee, and " honesllv believe.” so they snv. that substantially increased competition is operating to the advantage of the sellers. MINISTERS ON THE 11! MKT AT.

Both the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, the Acting-Prime -Minister, and the Hon. K. S. Williams, the -Minister ol Public Works, have bail opportunities recently to assert themselves in the face of deputations. Yesterdajf a deputation introduced by Mr Peter Eraser waited upon Mr Stewart to urge the claims of the unemployed. Having listened to the representations of the spokesmen the Minister, while expressing himself as sympathetic with the willing workers out of work, said he was satisfied there were a number of idle men who were not rcallv anxious to find serious employment. Air Enisei retorted warmly that this was “ a libel and a slander and unworthy of all Acting-Prime Minister.” The Minister without warmth and even without raising his voice checked the- impetuous Labour leader with words which brought from Mr Eraser at the conclusion of the interview, much to his own credit, an expression of regret that extraneous matter had been introduced and an admission that there were as ma 11 v wasters in the ranks of Labour as there were in any other walk in life. Afr Williams’s opportunity came when a deputation waited upon him at Tukahue to urge the expenditure in the district of a sum of money which it "ns said, bad been promised by Air Coates. If the money were not forthcoming. one indiscreet member of the deputation observed, the electors of the district would have to “ revise their polities”. The Minister with a dozen appropriate words left the interloper extremeiv sorry he had spoken. fAfAITR RATION. 'I he “ Evening Post ” appears in the role of apologist for the Government in regard lo what has been termed “ excessive immigration ” and though it does not make out an entirely convincing case for its client it states some facts it is only fair to hear in mind. “ The Government.” it says. “ is ndt solely responsible for the migration policy. Under the nomination system that responsibility is widelv distributed. Nominators are required to guarantee employment and accommodation. The Government is warranted in accepting such guarantees' and in believing that they afford a better indication of the

absorbing c-apacitv of the country than any other record short of a complete census of all industries. Tn the time which elapses between nomination and settlement unforeseen difficulties may arise: but that is unavoidable owing to the dista nee between Great Britain and New Zealand. None of the critics has vet suggested a means of guarding against this trouble.” This is all very w?II as far as it goes. The guarantee of employment and accommodation, if valid goes some way towards lightening the responsibility of tlie State. But if -ives no assurance of the suitability of the immigrants and relieves the Dominion of none of its national obligations. It is the' quality of the immigrants that is of the most importance and this is the very factor to which the authorities appear to pay least heed.