ACT CRITICISED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 207, 2 September 1938, Page 14

ACT CRITICISED.

INDUSTRIAL EFFICIENCY. COMMERCE CHAMBERS VIEW. The Industrial Efficiency Act of 193 ft was discussed at a meeting of the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce yesterday as the outcome of recommendations by the manufacturers' committee and the importers' section committee. It was decided to express the opinion that the scope of the Act should be limited to manufacturing industries and that where the Crown was engaged in trading in a licensed industry it should be classified as a principal and bound as such. Another recommendation was that when, under section 9, a plan had been adopted it should not be altered unless the amended proposals had been referred back and approved by threequarters of the principals in the industry employing threequarters of the workers in that industry. Tt was considered that the Act should be amended to preclude the Minister from inaugurating licensing in any industry, and that no industry should come within the scope of licensing provisions unless the majority had approached the Bureau and asked for a plan. Tt was held that ample opportunity should be given to produce evidence in rebuttal before the granting of a license was decided, and thai ample opportunity should be givgn the applicant to reply to any objections. It was contended also that applicants should have the right of appeal to the Supreme Court. The opinion was expressed that the tendency of the Act seemed to be to prevent expansion in industry, and that there was therefore a danger of establishing and maintaining monopolistic vested interests. It was also felt that the machinery of the Act was cumbersome and liable to lead to delays.