STATE CONTROL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 2 September 1942, Page 4

STATE CONTROL

EVER-INCREASING FIELD CLOGGING THE ECONOMIC MACHINE “There is a tendency, not confined to New Zealand, to accept ever-increasing forme of Government covitrol over h’,l phases of life going far beyond the essential economic control inevitable n wartime." s-tates the annual report of the United Kingdom Manufacturer* and New Zealand Representative- Association. The report continues:— "Ls this acceptance wise or correct, ami lias the. time not arrived when h stock-taking would itc appropriate to see exactly what control# are required and necessary and what are only a hindrance? We contend that iu the economic system easels will lie found where a control lias had to be put into operation only to try ami clear an ol** srruetion caused by an earlier control. Thus instead of the first cause of the block being removed, an additional control is put on to control the effect# of the first. "So it goes on each oue null further stopping up the normal channels of trade. Thu* springs up the erroneous idea of tlieir inevitability and value. We have pointed out earlier the eff»*cts of the import licensing (or control) system on the economic life of this country, and venture to say that if this was modified, or abolUhed. to fit in with prcsoiK-dav requirements -u«»t tnone of pre-war 111.38 then various other controls could be eliminated without detriment to bm to the advantage of our war effort. Iu making these ohi^crvations the report was referring to the 1943 (seventh period* inff*ort licence*, in which various additional items were listed a# controlled (through the Ministry of Supply i . and the scheme instituted by | lie Ministry of Supply for bulk ordering and bulk purchasing.