STATE INTERFERENCE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 45, 21 August 1924, Page 9

STATE INTERFERENCE

WITH PRIVATE ENTER-

PRISE

THE SOCIALIST MOVEMENT

At a meeting of the Wellington Cham-* ber of Commerce yesterday, the following letter from the iS!ow "Zealand Weltare League was read;—: " The Welfare League lias for the past ijve years protested strongly against tlie growing tendency of the Government to interfere in business to the detriment of legitimate private enterprise. "We have also taken the lead in warning . the public of the growinstrength of . the Socialist movement throughout, the Empire, and one of our -principal objectives is to uphold individual enterprise and initiative against socialistic State control. ■ " The result of B ur propaganda in these directions has induced people representing private industry 'to come to us tor advice and assistance when Government or municipal trading activities threaten unfair, competition, and the executive, feels that it is time that iome combined effort be made to combat a policy which is very dangerous in view of the growth of Socialist ideals. Isoliited protests appear 'from time to time m the newspapers, with very little effect, i ■ J\ c,feel that combined representation should be made to Government and local bodies on the subject, and this can be only dona effectively by some such t-ody as purs acting as a centralising point for joint action. " We should bo glad if.your organisation could supply us with specific information as to the industries, trades tnd commercial undertakings which are" Leing injured by the encroachment of Ware and municipal activities in the direction of unfair competition". Such information can be used generally in rousing a public protest against an-extension ,ot btate interference." -. ■ . " . The chairman (Mr. H. D. Bennett) said-he thought a reply ought to be sent' expressing their sympathy with the sentiments of the Welfare League that . A,? dre. w Mackenzie pointed out that at the last conference of delegates of the .Associated Chambers of Commerce a motion was moved by him' and Slug'sll3' UnanimoUEly - the The remit which was adopted at the conference of th e Associated Chambers of Commerce was as follows .—"That' tills conference, disapproves of Government interference trading, and also with the accepting of financial obligations by the Government in connection with marketing pools."