STATE CONTROL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 277, 22 November 1934, Page 17

STATE CONTROL.

CHANGING IDEAS.

OPPOSE—OR COMPROMISE?

SUPPORT FOP MR. SEAMAN.

"I feel that it is the duty of the commercial community, and particularly of the chambers of commerce, to set out definitely to hold the fort. ... If we go down we po clown, but let lis keep the flag of freedom of trade flying,"' said the vice-president, Mr. M. G. C. AlcCaul, at a meeting of the council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, when a discussion took place oil views expressed by the, president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand, Mr. A. M. Seaman, of Auckland, at the recent conference in Cliristclmrch.

Air. AlcCaul said he thought a considerable body of opinion would agree, with Air. Seaman's view that, rather than oppose all Government interference in business, the chambers of commerce should compromise and seek trt guide that control, "but my own viewis that it is very much like a child trying to guide a. tiger." All must agree that more Government interference' in business was coming, but lie thought that was a passing phase. "We arc coming up on a wave of Socialism, but we will coin,e bacK and not be mere in* a great Government scheme, mere civil servants." Very often the spirit of individualism led to much evil, but it was better to put up with those evils than become subservient to a Government machine. "Inevitable." Mr. <T- Pearce Luke said he could not help being struck by the fact that the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, in his address to the associated chambers' conference, had touched on much the same ground as Mr. Seaman had done. He believed thta they were inevitably being pushed into the position of having various forms of control, of which the proposed dairy legislation was an example. He was of the opinion that the pendulum had not swung to its fullest, extent yet. but that ultimately it would swing back. "Air. Seaman's remarks were such as to raise the whole tone of the chamber.-? of commerce in the Dominion, whether we agree with them or not," said Air. F. W. Miller.

Air. P. E. Patrick also expressed appreciation of Air. Seaman's address which he said had broken a good deal of new ground. "I agree with Air. Seaman. 1 thought he expressed _ very aptly the opinion of at least a majority of lis," lie said.

"I felt when I read the report of Air. Seaman's speech that I could take a great deal more heart," said Air. Andrew Fletcher, who added that he had previously expressed a similar view much more crudely. "As to the position in the future, there is going to be more Government interference," he said. He had noticed that the manufacturers' conference, had asked the Government to' set up a commission of industry with revolutionary powers. That gave point to the view that the old ideas of things were changing very rapidly.