STATE INTRUSION

Hokitika Guardian, 22 August 1932, Page 5

STATE INTRUSION

TRADE HAMPERED TO AN ASTOUNDING EXTENT.

AUCKLAND, August 201

Heavy responsibility lor ith© present difficulties of the country was laid at tne ooor of State trading by Mr A. 0. Heany, secretary of tne Associated ■Uhamoers of (Jgntaerce, in an interview to-day. " • '• -‘We are making the profound blunder in this country of looking to the passing of further legislation to heip us out of our troubles -’ said Mr Heany. (‘'‘Actually, the legislation of many years, increasing the scope of State and local body interference with private trade, has almost crushed private enterprise, which alone built this nation and the -Empire to which it belongs. Tar from private enterprise having fail, ed this country, it is State control that has failed. Our proudest State trad-, ing concerns are taxing us out of existence. i

‘‘lnnumerable State trading departments,. which »re tax-free, have invaded the field of private business to an extent -that is not generally realised,” Mr ‘Heany continued. "The State tradeß with the individual throughout his iife, from tending to his teeth as a child to administering his estate when he is dead, Between times it acts as his pawnbroker, mines his coal r does his cartage, quarries metal for him, builds him houses, highway#, bridges, viaducts,* railways tunnels, railway engines and carriages, ' power stations, lighthouses, public buildings, and telegraph fines. “The .State sells him a cover on his life, insures his person against accident ana his home and business premises against fire. lt transports him and his goods by rail, road and water, ships produce 'for his consumption and markets by proxy his ,dairy produce, meat, fruit and hooey. It produces and sells to him electric power, advertising space, telephones, directories, photo-; graphs, railway meals, ■ and magazines. It . designs buddings. • for him, 1 irrigates and drains ■ his land, and offals for -sale Parliamentary, literature from its own printers recording for him the processes by which its misguided paternalism has given him .all: Lbes* .things. • Finally, after reducing, him to an automaton in whom, initiative, enterprise /l and self-reliance . ar «, dead qualities, the State banks h:a. money for, him—if.he. has any left after paving the orippling taxes brought about by these,State services.