'HELPFUL CRITICISM'

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 273, 17 November 1936, Page 9

'HELPFUL CRITICISM'

COMMERCE CHAMBERS ATTITUDE TO LEGISLATION. CONFERENCE AT WELLINGTON The report of the executive of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of t New Zealand, to be presented at the ~ annual conference in Wellington on Fri- j day, reviews a year of intense activity. 1 The year has been a memorable one, J because of the Dominion being made the ' venue of the fourteenth congress of the ' Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire. Not for 33 years will New Zealand's turn come again. The congress was a great success, both in the discussions of Empire ' problems at Wellington and in the 1 entertainment of visitors by sight-see-ing tours. Assistance from various Government Departments was appreciated, special reference being made to ■ the Tourist and Railway Departments. Conference Remits. A deputation composed of the president and Wellington members of the executive, which waited on the Prime Minister and Minister of Industries and Commerce, presented the resolutions which liad been carried at the 1935 conference of the association. The president offered to the Ministers the hearty co-operation of the Associated Chambers and all possible assistance in any matters affecting the commercial community. The Prime Minister expressed the appreciation of the remarks regarding co-operation with the Government. He said the Government would value the opinions of the Chambers cf Commerce because, after all, the real wo'.k of the country was carried on outside Parliament, in the field of induftiy, trade and commerce. There would not a:ways be agreement, but the Government was fully prepared to hear the other side. Legislative Matters. The attitude of the Chambers of Commerce to the policy of the Labour Government was defined in the following ( resolution, passed in April: "That the . policy of the Associated Chambers, in ■ regard to all Government measures . which are brought down, shall be to offer such helpful criticism as it can, avoiding purely destructive criticism, with the object of assisting the Government to obtain all legitimate objectives with as little dislocation to the commercial community as possible, and avoiding injury to the public welfare." The Associated Chambers had felt concern about a large volume of legislation passed, and representations had been made in a number of cases. The Railways Amendment Bill, the Graduated Land Tax, the Fair Re'nts Bill had been the subject of remits to Parliament from the executive or from the individual chambers.