WAR CONTROLS

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24567, 16 May 1945, Page 6

WAR CONTROLS

—; Government Asked For Information CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE STATEMENT “Britain, Capada, and America, with much greater economic complexities to consider than this small country, are able to act and to speak within hours after V-E Day; why not New Zealand?” asks a statement on war-time controls issued by the Associated Chambers of Commerce. After summarising cabled newspaper reports of action in Britain, Canada, the United States, and Australia , the says that in New Zealand toe public has been “handed a few insignificant and comparatively absurd concessions relating to austerity clothing, industrial abrasives, and zinc. " ~ , Where are toe major revocations? the statement asks. ‘ All that the Acting-Prime; Minister (the Hon, w. Nash) is able to say is that ‘toe subject of controls in New Zealand has been receiving consideration for some time/ and that ‘controls exclusively associated with toe war are being very carefully examined. If they have been under consideration for so long, then, if the Government mepns business at all, it is unquestionably m toe position to speak and act on a parity with other nations and abollsn and revise regulations that mean something. . ~ “If, as Mr Nash says m his somewhat contradictory 'statement, war controls are only now being *very carefully examined,’ then it sounds very much as if the Government is stalling’ for time until it can get a direction from party conferences. • The statement says that not one control more tnan is necessary to see out the country’s whole-hearted driv® in the .remainder of its war. effort should be retained. It does not advocate the removal of such controls as would, in to-day’s sub-normal conditions, lead to greater inflation than already exists, but says it is of first importance that there be a speedy OV ®J” haul of all controls' which impede economic re-establishment. Indication of Policy Asked For “What are the future industrial, trading, monetary, and financial conditions under which business and the community will operate? . toe statement. “Does toe Government intend to encourage and augment tne efforts of private enterprise in reconstruction and rehabilitation, or to supplant them? What is taxation policy to be, and to what extent is the instrument of taxation to be modified to allow profits' to be ploughed back into private enterprise development to provide permanent employment tor ex-servicemen? What are toe plana of the Government for the conversion of industry and commerce from war-time activities to peace-time requirements, especially by suchYneans (already announced by toe British Government) as additional allowances fot depreciation of new buildings and equipment? .... . . . “When is the highly restrictive system of import control to be. overhauled so that the pleas of British exporters for all sorts of orders to keep Britain alive may be met? Are wartime industries to be propped up by the total debarment of competitive overseas goods, or are they to be placed under reasonable tariffs? Are toe Industrial Efficiency Act and other restrictive regulations to N be deprived of their monopolistic provisions to facilitate that freedom of choice and work for the armed services for which they have fought? What re-' ductions are contemplated ip war expenditure and administration, in camp personnel in New Zealand, and in inflated war-time Government departments?" ■'