NO INTERFERENCE

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 134, 9 June 1938, Page 5

NO INTERFERENCE

PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.

UNLESS FAILS TO DO JOB. HON. P. C. WEBB ACCLAIMED. (From Our CorroTTM'ndrii!.* HAMILTON". Wednesday. The statement that the Government had no intention of interfering with private enterprise. which in fact deserved to he encouraged, was made by the Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webb, in an address in Hamilton tonight. The Minister said ihe Government only interfered with private enterprise when it failed to do the joii. and then only did the Government inter-, venc- to produce order out of chaos. The Minister was given a rousing reception on entering the halL There was an attendance of 700. Replying to an interjection concerning tUo compensated price, Mr. Welib said Mr. Hamilton had spent an hour on the subject on Monday night, and no one had understood what he had said. "Adam Hamilton is a good fellow, but his politics belong to a past age." said Mr. Webb. "You will excuse me [calling him Adam: yon know he calls me Paddy."' (Laughter.) Too Soc-alistic. Mr. Webb said the Opposition did not advocate the repeal of the humanitarian legislation the Government had enacted. The previous Government, he continued, had discussed it. One of the previous Government's best leaders, Mr. Gordon Coates. was a man of outstanding ability, but he was regarded as Wing too Socialistic. The Minister claimed that there were fewer unemployed in New Zealand today than had been experienced at any other stage in the Dominion's history. Dealing with finance. Mr. Webb said the Government had more money than it could profitably spend at present. There was a shortage of profitable work available to occupy the unemployed. If the people of Hamilton wanted to build up their town and create assets, tlicy had only to applv for the money, and they would ;rct it. provided the work was worth while. Mr. Webb appealed for sunjwt for Mr. C. A. Barrcll. M.P. for Hamilton. The Minister was iriven three elieers when he resumed his seat, and the audience sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow."' A motion of thanks to Mr. Webb and confidence in the Government and Mr. Barrell was carried with acclamation.