WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 February 1929, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

STATE TRADING. AN AWAKENING PUBLIC. (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, February 7. The fact that the conference of tho Nineteen Twenty-Eight Committee, held here yesterday, was preceded by a number of pronouncements by politicians and business men deprecating the State’s intrusion upon the sphere of private enterprise gave additional weight to the demand of the Committee for fair trading. Sir George Elliott, chairman of directors of the Bank of New Zealand, speaking in his capacity of chairman of the Auckland Gas Company, had strongly protested against antiquated statutes being revived for the purpose of hampering private undertakings; Sir Joseph Ward, the Prime Minister, had stated definitely' that at the earliest possible moment ■the Government would take steps to free the taxpayers, great and small, from the burdens thrust upon them by State trading, and a number of other business men and politicians in various parts of the Dominion had expressed themselves to the same effect. The Nineteen Twenty-Eight Committee evidently has concentrated a large volume of public attention upon the economic problems it has taken in hand. PENNY WISE: POUND FOOLISH. Referring to the matter of State interference at a “ welcome home dinner accorded to M,r L. B. Beale, Ilis Majesty’s Trade Commissioner, Sir Joseph Ward declared that, apart fiom the unfairness of the proceeding, it was “ penny wise and pound foolish ” for the State to enter into competition with private enterprise in the supply of goods and services. There were some services which were quite legitimately undertaken by tho State, and these, of course, did not come within the category Of “ interference.” But to extract millions from the taxpayers for hydro-electric schemes and similar undertakings, for instance, and then to drive many of those taxpayers out of business by practically monopolizing the sale of the ordinary supplies for the distribution and use of current, was simply to penalize enterprise and industry. In this part of the business the State concerns got a ten or fifteen per cent start upon the private trader at the cost of the rest of the community. This sort of thing, Sir Joseph emphasized, was opposed to the fiist principle of fair trading. IN THE SOUTH.

The Hon. W. A. Veitch, the new Minister of Labour and Mines, lias ieturnod from a trip through the West. Coast <>f the South Island much impressed by the potentialities of this part of the Dominion. He confesses to previously having had only a superficial acquaintance with “the Coast and its people, and to still having a great deal to learn about them; hut he is satisfied there is a prosperous future before the district. Its mineral resources are many centuries away 'from being exhausted ; its wealth of timbei is a great national asset, and its agricultural resources are not inconsideiable. The district pressing need, Mr Veitch thinks, is better and cheaper communication with the outside. To meet this need to the full a large sum of money would be required—a larger sum than the country could afford just 11G w—but the local people are hoping to obtain a hearing for less pretentious schemes. Mr Veitch. as he ex plains, could only listen to their ampliations. AS MINISTER OF. LABOUR. Mr Veitch regards the portfolio of Labour as a very important trust and is hoping to prove himself worthy o its custody. He never has doubted the good sense and loyalty, en masse, of the workers, who for the purpose of party distinction come under the title of Labour, and he believes that many of the old-time prejudice of one class against another are rapidly disappearing. An increasing number df men and masters, he declares, are realising that their interests are mutual and that strikes and lock-outs and other proceedings of the kind, are as illogical as they are wasteful. The new Minister believes that the relations between Labour and Capital have been steadily improving during the last decade, and he is ready to give his political opponents credit for all they lave effected in this respect. His own ambition as Minister of Labour is to ass i s t in. making tho relations between the two parties so frank and cordial that the country will suffer no further loss from disagreements between them.