BAD EFFECTS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 108, 9 May 1941, Page 5

BAD EFFECTS

INDUSTRIAL ACT

STRONG PROTEST VOICED ■ "The effects of this Act are defi|nitely bad," says a report of the (executive committee of the Aucklland Chamber of Commerce, on the j Industrial Efficiency Act, 1936, and its effect on trade submitted at a meeting of the chamber yesterday. j "It has not achieved in the degree the professed hopes iof its sponsors, namely, increased I efficiency in business." the report ;continues. "Rather, it has struck jat the very roots of our Constitujtion, destroyed the liberty of the individual, and taken away the inIherent right of every British subject to appeal to a competent and independent Court. "It has opened the way to all manner of abuses in its administration. It places a premium on undue influence, and can be the means of destroying business built up after many years of faithful endeavour." In its desire to give the Industrial Efficiency Act a fair trial, the Auckland Chamber had refrained from active opposition since then, the report* continues. The chamber, however, had received reports of 'maladministration of the Act, and failure of the Act in operation to give effect to its professed intentions. Therefore the chamber now felt impelled again to voice the strongest protest against the increasing socialisation of industry under the Act, and especially against the wide powers of the Act enabling it completely to subjugate all private enterprise, leading to a patent and progressive decline in industrial efficiency under the deadening hand of bureaucratic control. "Under the Industrial Efficiency Act, and the import licensing system, abuses in production, marketing and distribution are being permitted which are little short of a

public scandal and call for th< strongest reprobation," says th« j report. I "The Act contemplates the pro motion of new industries by the help of subsidies, grants, loa'ns, tarif, concessions, tariff preference anc complete import embargoes. Alreadv expenditure out of public funds hai occurred in this connection. Quiu I apart from the grave potential abuse iof public funds that this method oi . financing new industries entails, tht Act, with its 'partner-in-crime,' the Import ContPol Regulations, has • done much to alienate the goodwill iiand co-operation of the people o) [the United Kingdom in the matter of trade. "The Act and its administration have been weighed in the balance jand found wanting," the report con ; eludes. "As soon as the war period is over the Act should be struck off the ! Statute Book." , "I move that the report be adopted ,and that the Associated Chambers of Commerce Executive be requested to make strong representations to ithe Government on the lines indi Icated." said the president of the Chamber, Mr. L. A. Eady. j The president's motion was I adopted unanimously.