BUSINESS VIEWS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 29, 28 October 1932, Page 12

BUSINESS VIEWS

Chambers of Commerce ANNUAL CONFERENCE State Trading Ventures By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, Oct. 27. Tlie deputy-mayor, Mr. F. W. Mitchell, in the absence of the mayor, welcomed the delegates to the annual meeting of Associated Chambers of Commerce, which commenced this morning. Mr. Mitchell said that theirs was really tlie business men’s parliament of New Zealand. The difference between the two parliaments was that one was made up of all talk and very little work; with the chambers’ parliament it was very little talk and a great deal of work. Mr. W. Machin, president, replying, said that in the present economic condition of the Dominion they should not allow the value of men to be subordinated to the value of gold. Mr. Machin welcomed Mr. H. H. Sterling to the conference and congratulated him and the Railways Board on the businesslike statement recently issued and on the board’s attempt to reduce overhead expenditure to meet reduced revenue. Mr. Machin read cablegrams from the Federation of Chambers of the British Empire, asking that the proposed visit of delegates to New Zealand next year should be postponed for three years. The request was agreed to. Contract System. The first remit (a reaffirmation) was presented by the executive and by Canterbury. It urged the Government to agree that all future construction work for the Public Works Department be carried out by contract through public tenders, and that the department be reconstituted so as to make it a purely advisory and supervisory body. In connection with these works Mr. Stronach Paterson said there seemed to be a likelihood of at last getting somewhere with this remit. It had been supported by the National Expenditure Commission. , The remit was carried with practically no discussion. State Trading Ventures. Mr. A. F. Wright moved the reaffirmation’ of a remit protesting against Government trading ventures being accorded the protection of the Crown Suits Act, and asking that, where the Crown is a litigant in respect of trading ventures, it should be bound by the same rules and laws as operate between subject and subject. Mr. Wright said the remit had been before annual meetings on many previous occasions. Eminent judges had spoken against the existing __ system. The speaker quoted cases in New Zealand .where claims for priority under Royal prerogative had been put forward. He eaid the position was a grotesque anomaly and an absurdity. The remit was adopted. Mr D. J. McGowan presented a remit reaffirming that the Government be urged to eliminate unfair States and public bodv competition with private enterprise in trading activities, and to repeal special legislation which curtails and interferes with legitimate private trading Mr. MtGowan claimed that private enterprise could always’ provide for greater employment than enterprises by the State. The State and municipal enterprises were not run on the same economic basis as private enterprises. He gave as an instance railway activities in providing fleets of motor-lorries at prices for transport with which private owners could not compete, ine Railway Department was even found m the ranks of furniture manufacturers and ironfounders. It was obvious that as State Departments increased their competition with private traders more workers must be thrown into the ranks of the unemployed. Mr. J. P. Luke said the movement was toward the socialisation of industry. They should protest direct to the Government, and not to the Railways Board. Parliament should determine the point, not the Railways Board. Mr. Machin said that the chambers had always pressed for a board of business men to run the railways. He thought they would be better to discuss the matter with the board. Mr H. H. Sterling, in answer to a question, said that as a general rule the board could not receive deputations, but if the business was important enough the board would receive a deputation, and the board had already agreed to accept a deputation as asked for by the chambers. The remit was adopted. Abolition of Land Tax. The conference reiterated its previous decisions urging that land tax be abolished and income tax substituted. It expressed appreciation of the intention of the Government to pass a modernised Companies Act during the current session. It was held that the operation of the Unemployment Act, 1930, and the amended Acts of 1931 and 1932, should relieve local bodies of the responsibility of providing for relief of unemployment. The conference approved a remit that the time had arrived when there should be a reduction in the number of members of Parliament. Mr. Machin said there was a strong hint that appointments to the Upper House would be made on a new principle, the basis of future service rather than of past service. The conference approved of a new remit that the Government should delay no longer in setting up the promised commission to inquire into the whole system of local body administration. It was stated that there were 600 local bodies, which had borrowed £72,000,000, and that this was sufficient evidence of the need of the commission. The conference was engaged throughout the afternoon on a discussion in Committee on “Money and Prices in New Zealand.”