NOT INTENDED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 45, 23 February 1937, Page 10

NOT INTENDED.

CONTROL OF WOOL.

MR. SAVAGE'S ASSURANCE

NO FEAR OF COMMANDEER. (By Telegraph.—Preee Association.) DUNEDIN, Monday. Reference to a suggestion thata the Government might take control of wool was made by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon to-day. Growers lately had been exercised in their mind over rumours that the Government proposed to take over the marketing of wool a& well ae of dairy produce. Mr. Savage said that business men had nothing to fear from the Labour Government, and in illustration of his point he related how three woolbrokers. had recently waited upon him at his office in Parliament Buildings to ascertain their position in the event of a commandeer of wool. They explained that they intended building large new wool stores. It was important, therefore, that they should know where they etood with regard to these premises when the Government took over control. "They were obviously much perturbed," the Prime Minister said, "and seemed to be badly in need of reassurance. I told them that I had a fairly good idea of what the Government's intentions were with regard to new legislation, but the proposal mentioned by them was a new one to me. '"Then I simply asked them if they were doing all right, and when they told me they were I asked them why the Government should interfere with their industry. They did not «ee why it should, and then I asked them if all they wanted us to do was to keep out of their way. They said 'Yee. , I was then able to assure them that that was exactly what we would do." Woolgrowers, Mr. Savage concluded, need not fear a commandeer. The Government was not anxious to step in unles* it was necessary. It was not looking for trouble—it could find enough without going out to look for it—but he would say, as he had said to the men who waited on him in Wellington, that they would not always enjoy the current wool prices. Wool values had risen because the world had suddenly realised that it needed clothing properly. For too long people had been going about in rage, and the process of changing over to decent clothes had increased the demand for wool. The demand could not go on increasing always, however. Then, again, wars and rumours of wars had had a lot to do with rieing prices, but, whatever the cause, he could promise woolgrowers that, when things were not so good, and they began to get into difficulties, the Government might etep in to help them. He would like to emphasise, however, that the Government's job was to build up, not to destroy.