GOVERNMENT IN BUSINESS.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 February 1930, Page 7

GOVERNMENT IN BUSINESS.

DRIFTING. AT COST OF PUBLIC. (Ta payers’ Federation.) When Mr Ramsay MacDonald, the Labour Prime Minister in the Imperial Parliament, deprecates Government .interference with private business, surely it is time politicians hero began thinking seriously of removing the outrageous restrictions and obligation that have rested upon the manufacturers and traders of this country practically from the beginning of the Great War down to the present time. Similar restrictions and obligations were ■imposed in other countries involved in the war; but they were removed within four or five years of the declaration of peace and trade and commerce were allowed to resume their former course.

It is through no omission on the part of business men of the Dominion that they are left with the menace of interference and loss constantly before them. Again and again they have called the attention of the Government to the freedom restored to business men in other countries. Again and again promises have been given 1 that the obnoxious clauses would be repealed. The character of these clauses may be briefly summarised:— The Minister of Industries and Commerce, representing the Government, is given absolute authority, (1) to prevent and suppress any method of competition or trading or business he thinks unfair or prejudicial to to the public welfare; (2) to suppress monopolies and combinations in relation to any industry; (3) to fix maximum prices or rates for any. class of ,'goods or service; (4) to prohibit, regulate or control such goods or .services : and (5) to regulate and control industries in any other matter whatever.

For both the late Government and for the present Government it may be said they -were hardly. pressed "by other matters when the need for the revision of the Board of Trade. Act was arced upon them. It also may be said Miat when the perils of such legislation were pointed out to them the respective ministers gave an assurance that the clauses to which objection was taken would not be put into operation ..and what as speedily as possible they would be repealed althogether. This, however, was merely a palliative, which might be easily reonunced By a new Government coming into office. It has been suggested that the third party in the present House of Representatives is anxious to retain the existing law in its entirety in order that it may be available when its turn ,to the possession of the Treasury Benches comes round. It is unbelievable however, that any party would be ready to place the destiny of the whole trade and commerce of the Dominion in the hands of a single individual. It is certain that no section of the community—aware of the facts would tolerate such an arrangement. Commonsense is not an attribute confined to the followers of any particular party creed.