NEED OF GUIDANCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 58, 10 March 1937, Page 13

NEED OF GUIDANCE

GOVERNMENT'S TASK

"THE OTHER POINT OF VIEW"

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, March 9. The willingness of the Government at all times to "listen to the other, fellow's point of view" was stressed by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) in responding to a welcome extended to him at a luncheon given by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. There was a large attendance, which included the Minister of Health (the Hon. P. Fraser), the Minister of Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong), the Minister of Mines (the Hon. 'P. C. Webb), and the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. Lee Martin).'

"Chambers of commerce, by offering their advice, can continue to help the Government, the business community, which they represent, and the people of this country," said Mr. Savage. "It would not be right for me or for the Government to take power to say the last word on everything. There is always the possibility that the other fellow may be right, and I hope the time will never come when I will push advice aside as if it did not count. I personally cannot imagine a state of society, in which all men would think alike, but if we have to disagree about details, let us Sgree to differ. We all have the same basic interest —the welfare of New Zealand as a whole. I myself have to speak to people of all shades of political opinion, and I am bound to say that in the majority of cases they make some impression on my mind." Advice which came from a chamber of commerce, the Prime Minister continued, was generally advice from people experienced in some particular phase 'of commercial practice. Naturally, it was impossible for. the Government to include in its own ranks experts in everything, but its duty was to sift evidence tendered to it by men who understood particular problems in an endeavour to arrive at a solution suitable to all. Any Government worthy of the-name was bound to take notice of advice when it was backed up with knowledge.

"We need all the guidance we can get," Mr. Savage added. "We cannot write all the advice tendered -to us into the law of the land, but I can assure you that the representations which you have made to1 us have been employed in the shaping of our legislative proposals. This kind of co-op-eration is of the utmost value, and I hope it will still be forthcoming in the future."