PETITION DRAWN UP

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 93, 13 January 1939, Page 10

PETITION DRAWN UP

Auckland Importers And Licensing SUSPENSION SOUGHT

Large Number May Attend Wellington Conference

Dominion Special Service.

AUCKLAND, January 12.

Suspension for the time being of the operation of the import control regulations is sought in a petition prepared by the Bureau of Importers for submission to the Governor-General and circulated by the bureau to kindred organizations throughout New Zealand. The petition, which was prepared for the bureau by Professor R. M. Algie, was read at a meeting of about 100 business men at the chamber of commerce rooms, when there was general support for the suggestion that a special train should be engaged to take 300 Auckland importers to Wellington to attend the Dominion conference to discuss the effects of the .regulations.

The petition stated that the signatories were encouraged to present it by their reliance on a statement made by King George VI on December 14, 1937, when, on .his ascension to the Throne, he said: You may be assured that, it is my determination to do all that lies within my power to safeguard the liberties of my people and to promote their prosperity and contentment. The particular grounds on which the petition is presented'-were itemized under live headings. The first stated that the regulations were, in the opinion of the petitioners, a violation of the spirit and intent of the Ottawa Agreement. Petitioners had been advised that there was grave doubt as to whether the regulations were intra vires and valid, and it was their intention to seek from the Supreme Court it declaratory judgment in which the Court would be asked to pronounce upon the validity or otherwise of Ute regulations.

Serious Hardship Claimed.

Pending final determination ou tills question, very serious hardship was being, and was likely to be, inflicted on importers generally and on their employees because of I lie refusal of the Government to issue any statement ol: policy. Further unemployment was feared as a result of the effect on business. Importers were not. anxious to reduce staffs and thus specially asked .that the regulations should not be operative till their validity had been decided by the court.

The Minister of Customs had consistently refused to explain the principles on which bls department was working and bad declined to answer relevant questions. The petition added that the Prime Minister had repeatedly stated that it was the intention of his party to ensure the welfare of the people as a whole and that no section of the community would be subjected to any form of discrimination. Such a revolutionary change as the present one should not have been made till the people had had an opportunity of voting on it. <f “It is very respectfully submitted that the private rights of a particular section of the community ought not to be arbitrarily restricted or ruthlessly abrogated, even by the High Court of Parliament itself, and upon this basis it is strenuously pleaded that there is stronger reason why such private rights ought not to be interfered with by regulations which are but a species of subordinate legislation and which provide no right of appeal except to the Minister, whose regulations in effect they are,” the petition concludes. Many Signatures. Many signatures to the petition.were forthcoming from business men at the meeting. The president. Mr. W. A. Boucher, said a request had been sent to the British Trade Commissioner, Mr. R. Boulter, in Wellington, to seek schedules of restricted and other British goods from the Minister. A reply had been received that the Minister bad declined to furnish schedules. After an announcement that Christchurch intended sending 150 business men to the conference in Wellington late this month, Mr. Gainor Jackson said Auckland should send 300. They should endeavour to get a. special train. The bureau intends if {Xissible to present the petition to bis Excellency on January 23.