RAILWAY CONTROL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 156, 15 April 1936, Page 3

RAILWAY CONTROL

VIEWS OF COMMERCIAL MEN. BUSINESS PRINCIPLES ADVOCATED. (Per Press Association.) April 14. “While recognising that the Government, in abolishing the Railways Board, is merely implementing its declared policy, the executive of the Associated Chambers of Commerce, which was largely instrumental in securing the establishment of the board, nevertheless expresses regret that tlie result of that policy is to make the railways administration again a subject of political control and liable to political interference,” says a resolution passed at to-day’s meeting of the executive of the Associated Chambers. “This executive urges upon the Government that in exercising the powers which it thus resumes it should have regard to business principles in administration, and not enter upon any construction ventures that are not economically justifiable.” Consideration was given by the meeting to the material bearing of the declared policy of the United States Government in generalising concessions made under reciprocal trade agreements, by which it appeared that while New Zealand at present stood on terms equal to the most favoured terms granted by America to other nations, it was more than probable that the articles to which those terms applied were not articles which New Zealand exported, and for which the Dominion specially desired recognition. The meeting agreed that it was desirable that the Government be asked to proceed actively toward making a trade treaty direct between the United States and New Zealand. Exchange Policy. The Minister for Finance (Hon. W. Nash) in a letter, said the Government’s policy as to exchange costs was definitely in the direction ol placing a charge on the particular undertaking for which such cost had been incurred. This answers an inquiry from the Associated Chambers as to the attitude of the Government to continued complaints to Parliament by the Gontrollei and Auditor-General about the misleading nature of the public accounts, through London transactions in exchange having been entered in certain of the public accounts at their steiling amounts, without conversion into Now Zealand currency. The possibility of a graduated laud tax being instituted by the Government was considered, and the following resolution was carried: ( •‘That while it has been the opinion of the Chambers of Commerce that land tax should be abolished, if it is the policy of the Government to institute a graduated land tax, this association urged that it be confined to rural lands.”