LORD COBHAM ON CONTROLS

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28532, 11 March 1958, Page 12

LORD COBHAM ON CONTROLS

“Strong Views” Held (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, March 10. The Governor-General (Lord Cobham) told the annual meeting of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce tonight that he had strong views of controls which if expressed “would earn me a ticket back to London. “I hate controls—l think we all do/’ said his Excellency. “The sooner we are shot of them the better.” He likened import controls to the stabilisers on a ship. “They do splendid work—admirable—except that they rip the bottom of the ship out,” he said. Lord Cobham’s comments were prompted by a report on import controls made by the president of the chamber (Sir John Allum). Lord Cobham said that as a businessmen he had listened to Sir John Allum with interest. “I know how difficult it is to reconcile controls with private enterprise,” said his Excellency. Lord Cobham, who was guest of honour at the chamber’s meeting and dinner, said his remarks were not intended as criticism of the Government. At the end of his prepared address—on the importance of the relationship between management and labour—Lord Cobham said he supposed he had been tactless. He had probably put his foot in some puddles, and expected to receive all sorts of letters in the morning. “But I have only said what I believe,” he concluded. Sir John Allum said that Lord Cobham had spoken to the chamber in a language members understood, and told them things they should know. “I don’t think it is ever tactless to speak the truth,” he said.