GOVERNMENT IN BUSINESS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 114, 15 May 1926, Page 10

GOVERNMENT IN BUSINESS.

BUS MANAGER'S CRITICISM. "BACKED THE WRONG HORSE." (By Telegraph.—Special to " Star.") WELLINGTON, this day, "Where is the Government's policy of ■33 government in business" asks Mr. 7. G.. McDonald, general manager ol iie Wellington Suburban Bus Co., in sturning to the attack over the new sgulations. "They have," he said, been brought into operation by disoneat method —brought into operation, loreover, by a Government expressly lected to preserve the rights of private nterprise, and its first official act has een to bring- down these bu3 regulaions. This is the interpretation it has iven to its slogan of less Government n business. We arc therefore justified a accusing the Government of political ypocrisy We go further. We say that he method by which it has given effect 0 the policy of its opponents, the Labour arty, is politically dishonest, and that, nder the guise of regulation of traffic, 1 has confiscated our businesses, has estroyed at a stroke what in some ises hag taken years to create. The .abour party of New South Wales, in pplying this principle of Socialisation to he problem, of transport, was at least ohest enough to compensate those ngaged in business, but in New Zeaind a Government, whose slogan is :ss government in business, wipes busiesse3 out of existence, and, with a ypocritical smile, says that we can aye a license to carry passengers if there i an urgent need, but that we must large the unfortunate passenger an Korbitant fare. "The bus proprietors may be pardoned tbey have stressed the personal aspect, ut ive can assure the Mayor that we aye not overlooked the broad principles iscussed by him, and we view with larm the further application of the overnment's new policy. Together with great number of other business men, c rather feel that at the last election c backed the wrong horse; perhaps the >irit of liberty and justice is not yet sad, and there is yet time to assert ie inalienable right of the private citi:n to develop his own business in his svn way, in accordance with the public iea of fair play, unhampered by istrictive regulations, tyrannical in )irit and confiscatory in method." Regulations Defended. The Mayor of Wellington, Mr. . J. B. Norwood, ventured yeeterday pon the defence of the motor bus regutions by which he and a majority of s councillors hope to save the city amwaya from the competition of •ivate enterprise. The only plea he put rward on their behalf was that the tcpayers' money having been invested tramways, the monopoly of the amways should be upheld -it any cost money or municipal morals. Tbe Jominion" will not believe that the ablic is going to subscribe to this cious doctrine. "The case against c motor-bus regulations, as they and," it says, "is that they represent i attempt to kill bus competition with ie tramways by unjust methods which > government or local authority lould be prepared, to father or dend. The facts on which this charge ists are not open to question. In Welngton, for instance, the authority apaintcd under the regulations to license \ iotor-bus services will be the City j ouncil, a body interested in setting the ' arrowest possible limits to such serices. As the rotations run, a motorus service is to be licensed over a iven route only if the existing transort facilities are not sufficient to meet he needs of the public. Why iif ie existing tramway or bus facilities re insufficient, should the public be snaiised when they are forced to travel i a private bus service which merely ;medies the deficiency? All. that any censing authority has to do to obvite the paymer/; of compensation is to ;sue a license. The unfortunate prorjetor is then quietly eliminated' by »ason of the fact that he cannot hope > carry on his service at the excessive large he is forced to impose on his issengers. Tt is inconsistent with the ilf-respeet of public and national nthorities that they should set their undii to -nethods which open the door > abuses of this nature." In this mat;r the "Dominion" represents the opinm of the great majority of the tizcni. '