WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 February 1929, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

ABSOLUTE CONTROL

IMPEDING PRIVATE ENTERPRISE

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, February 19

The diplomatic intervention of the Prime Minister in the controversy between the Fruit Control Board and a large firm of exporters that wished to open the German market to New Zealand fi-uit, failed to bring the parties to any amicable agreement. The firm had arranged to send thirty or forty thousand boxes of apples to Hamburg and had opened up negotiations for a similar shipment to the same port. It had been advised by a competent legal authority that, owing to the omission of some formality that should have been observed by the Fruit Board, it would be within its rights in making these shipments. The Board, however, did not accept this interpretation of the position and positively refused to allow the first instalment of the definitely arranged shipment to proceed further than Wellington. It is stated that in these circumstances the wouldbe shipper sought further legal advice and again was assured he was within his rights. But the Board remained obdurate. A DANIEL TO JUDGMENT. At this stage, in the absence of the Minister of Agriculture, the firm obtained an interview with the Prime Minister, urging that if the fruit wore held up in Wellington for any length of time the market would be lost. Sir Joseph Ward, while sympathizing with the shipper, explained that lie could not override the authority Parliament had conferred upon the Board. Any attempt of the kind would fie highly improper. In the circumstances, however, he was prepared to suggest that, as a nice legal point was involved, it would be a reasonable arrangement for the Board to take charge of the apples on their way to Hamburg and leave the question of control to be determined, there by the decision of the New Zealand Court to which, he understood, it had been referred. More than this lie could not think of doing in view of tlie existing legislation. The firm was prepared to accept this arrangement and Sir Joseph communicated with the Board forthwith.

SMART BUSINESS.

It is now understood that the Board has definitely decided to enforce its powers of control, holding that its authority is fully estalished by the law. and that it has communicated its decision to the Prime Minister. This being the case there is not much more that can he said about the matter, in view of the appeal that' is being made to the law courts; but that the Fruit Control Board is not without some measure of enterprise may be judged from the fact that it has opened up negotiations with both the German houses with which the export firm had estahlised trading relations. It is reported that it has secured an order from the buyers with whom the export firm was negotiating and that it is offering supplies to the buyers with whom the firm had concluded a contract. There is no great fault to find with enterprise of this knid, when business is concerned, but the acceptance of Sir Joseph Ward’s suggestions would have appeared more chivalrous.

CONTROL IN GENERAL.

With the advent of a new Government, pledged to put a stop to the growth of State interference with private enterprise, it is not unlikely that the despotic powers of the Fruit Board and similar bodies will be very materially revised during the life of the present Parliament. Sir Joseph Ward, addressing a deputation some hundred strong from the Nineteen Twenty-Eight Committee last week, without disclosing in any detail the intentions of the Government in this respect, left the gathering with the impression that the indiscriminate trading of both the State and its subsidiary bodies would have to lie drastically revised. As the new official Opposition is in dose aecoid with the Government on this subject, the extreme Socialists—if .there are any survivors of this cult 111 the new House progress of a much needed reform. In theVocess of placing the affairs of the Dominion upon sound basis it will be strange if “ Absolute Control ” does not receive particular attention.