NO POLITICAL BIAS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 118, 21 May 1941, Page 10

NO POLITICAL BIAS

LOCAL CHAMBER OF

COMMERCE

MINISTER'S CRITICISM

CONCERN ALLAYED

A recent statement by the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr. Sullivan), who, in reply to criticism by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce regarding the operation of the Industries Efficiency Act, attacked chambers of commerce generally, was the subject of discussion at last night's meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce.

The president (Mr. R. H. Nimmo) said that on May 9; there appeared as a Press Association message . a report on the operation of the industrial Efficiency Act issued by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. On the following day the Minister of Industries and Commerce replied to this! statement, and in such reply said, "Not only are the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and most of the other chambers of commerce apparently opposed on principle to anything and everything done by the Labour Government, but they are equally hostile to every attempt to establish new manufacturing industries in New Zealand. In this, the latest of their many and periodical outbursts, they have excelled themselves." Because these words indicted all chambers throughout the Dominion, Mr. Nimmo said, he felt that it was necessary to clear the Wellington Chamber in particular of any charge which might have been laid at its door by the Minister. "As president, I accordingly wrote to the Minister as follows:— "In your Press reply to the statements by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce Uhe merits or demerits of which statements are not here involved) on the operation of the Industrial Efficiency Act you give utterance to expressions which, in my opinion and as far as the Wellington Chamber of Commerce is concerned, are wholly unjustified and cannot be substantiated. You deal vigorously with chambers of commerce as a whole and characterise their activities as being, well, to say. the least,, anything but helpful to the Government. "In view of the happy relations and the spirit of co-operation existing between Ministers of the Crown and the Wellington Chamber of Commerce as an autonomous body, we cannot believe that your sweeping condemnation includes this chamber. "Naturally we reserve the right to criticise constructively, and when necessary trenchantly, but never at any time can our decisions be construed to have any party political bias, and we know that if you check up,on the negotiations since the beginning of the war between this chamber and Ministers or heads of Departments, you will find that our attitude has always been helpful, essentially non-party and, above all, characterised by a true spirit of co-operation towards the maximum of national war effort. „ PARTY FEELING DEPLORED^ "As president of the chamber, I personally deplore and discourage any display of party feeling at the present time and, in my opinion, any organisation or individual responsible for the raising of such issues publicly is rendering a disservice to the Dominion and to the Empire in our hour of crisis. "As your statement and attack is a public one I feel that, in justice to this chamber 1 should reply in like manner, but, in conformity with that spirit of co-operation which I have mentioned, I feel that it would not be right for me to do so \yithout first giving' you the opportunity of indicating whether the remarks you make as to the activities of chambers of commerce in general includes the Wellington Chamber, either in part or in whole. "Bearing on your inference that chambers of commerce do not represent manufacturing interests, may I say that our membership comprises a true cross-section of the business community, commercial, manufacturing, and nrofessional. and that manufacturing interests are a -very substantial percentage of the total. It is because of this diversity of interests that "we hold our chamber discussions'and decisions to be truly representative of all interested in commerce and industry. ' "As the outcome of these observation? I would be glad to have your assurance that the cordial relations which have hitherto existed between you and ether Ministers of the Crown and this chamber have not been impaired by the Press publicity under discus&'on. I shall be very happy to convey any such assurance to council of this chamber." MINISTER'S REPLY. "To this letter," said Mr. Nimmo, "I am pleased to say that the Minister has made a courteous reply as follows: — "'I acknowledge your letter commenting on my reply to the attack by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce on the Industrial Efficiency Act and Import Control Regulations. Since receiving your letter I have re-read the statement issued bf the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and my own published reply. Despite the lapse of days, the re-reading of the Auckland Chamber's statement still leaves me with the impression that it was an'unjustifi.?c and unfair attack, and with just one qualification I consider that my reply was justified. " 'The qualification referred to is that it would have been fair for me to have admitted that, despite some criticism since Ihe outbreak of the war, a helpful attitude towards the Government in its war effort has been displayed by the presidents and executives of the Associated "Chambers ,of Commerce and many of the chambers, including the Wellington Chamber. I trust, however, you will realise • that there is a world of difference between rational democratic criticism and the kind ol statement from Auckland to which I took exception. "'1 a'rr. happy to subscribe 100 per cent r- > the sentiment expressed in the final paragraph of your letter.' SATISFACTORY OUTCOME. "This i consider a sali'pfactory outcome' concluded Mr. Nimmo. "but I would 'like you parliculprly to note thai a*, staled in my letter, the report b;v ihe- Auckland Chamber on the Act was not the question under review bu' rather the Minister's general attack ou the activities of chambers as a whole "

The Government did its best to stifle free speech, declared Mr. M. G. C. McCaul. "Its attitude is one of stoush and intimidation to prevent the proper working of the democratic system, which can be based only on free speech and free criticism." he said. "Mr. Sullivan's wild assertions against the chambers of commerce cannot be substantiated. His remarks are an example of intolerance which should not be countenanced by any chamber of commerce or any citizen of this country."

The chairman said that as a Chamber of Commerce it had a duty to the community and must avoid antagonising the Government. "We must cooperate with the Government," said Mr. Nimmo, "but that, of course, does not mean putting the blinkers on."

The president's action was endorsed,