MAKING FURNITURE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 87, 14 April 1931, Page 10

MAKING FURNITURE.

GOVERNMENT UNDERTAKING. MINISTER. DEFINES POLICY. USE OF RAILWAY WORKSHOPS. In February last the Auckland Education Board received advice from the Education Department stating that a letter- had been received from the General Manager of Railways intimating >that Cabinet had decided that all classes of carpentry and joinery work as well, as furniture equipment, should be carried out in Government railway work- .

At a meeting- of the Auckland Manufacturers' Association the Auckland Furniture and Furnishing Employees' Union wrote protesting against the-practice. It was pointed out that the Railway Department was entering into competition with private enterprise in the manufacture of furniture.

Meantime the secretary of the Manufacturers' Assocition had written to Mr. Sterling, and a reply was received from the Minister of Railways. In his letter the Hon. W. A. Veitch • said that as the Government had workshops provided izd equipped which would enable that class of work to be carried out, there wouid be no justification in placing the work outside the shops and leaving them idle. As a matter of policy it had been decided by the Government that its own facilities should be used as much as possible for the manufacture of equipment. "In coming to this conclusion the Government did not consider that it was violating in any way that the State should not enter into competition in business with private enterprise," Mr. Veitch stated. "It would be unjustifiable for the Government to allow facilities provided at the public expense to remain idle while the expenditure of public funds is being incurred and moneys paid out for work which the Government might do for itself." The Minister added that he desired to assure those interested that the Government would on every occasion adhere as far as possible to the policy of the State not competing with private enterprise.