HAMPERING PROGRESS

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20503, 20 May 1938, Page 6

HAMPERING PROGRESS

DOMINATION BY THB BTATS MR COATES ATTACKS LABOUR (Special to Times) AUCKLAND, Friday The Labour Party’s attempt to deify the State was condemned by the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, AI.P. for Kalpara, at Warkw'orth. Mr Coates said the question to be faced was whether they would -support State domination or whether they would return to eetablished principles of freedom. ’"Lhe basic formula of the Labour Party,” said Mr Coates, ”is Government ownership. Ministers are not given to explaining how they hope to socialise the means of production, dietribution or exchange, but the main object is still there.” The socialist policy must make for a dead level of averages. Those who were opposed to it believed that only by clearing the way for individual pro* gress could national progress be achieved. Bureauoretlo Oontrol The Government was determined to socialise production. The dairy farmer to-day did not own his own produce and every pound of butter and cheese produced was owned by the State. Mr Nash had perambulated the world endeavouring to arrange trade agreements. He had arranged for the sale of a -small quantity of butter to Germany, but the whole aim of that agreement was that if New Zealand found the money Germany would buy our goods. It was by slich means that, the Government was endeavouring to bolster up its policy of socialism. In other directions the State was exercising bureaucratic control. Pricefixing legislation gave the Government complete power for the socialisation of distribution, while licensing under the Industrial Efficiency Act and the operation of the bureau of industry had a similar objective.