POST-WAR POSITION

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 83, 5 October 1944, Page 7

POST-WAR POSITION

GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY Rec. 11 a.m. RUGBY, October 4. The post-war relations of the Gov-' ernment and industry—with a bear-1 ing on the future ;©f enterprise—were referred to by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir John Anderson, at a Mansion House luncheon to the directors of the Bank of England andt the bankers and merchants of the City; of London. .

"You will not expect," Sir John said tl "to find me greatly concerned to test each issue of policy by asking whether this is true private enterprise, or that is good Socialism. I am tempted to think that those who make extreme judgments in these matters overlook one not unimportant, motive in human conduct—the ordinary desire to do a job properly for its own sake. "Whatever may be the ultimate shape of our economic structure in this country, it is quite clear that after waging a terrible war we shall have too much to do to waste time sweeping up all private enterprise and turning it into some other kind of enterprise. But private enterprise has a public responsibility." MUST RECOGNISE PARTNERSHIP. Particularly would this be true for the very difficult conditions of resettle- v ment of industries and trade in the immediate years after the war, he said. 'We must all recognise this new partnership and develop it to the full." Sir John added that it would be the duty of the Government to exert itself to achieve conditions in which, private enterprise could play its part worthwhile and well. It would be a big part. But those conditions could not be achieved unless private enterprise was willing, genuinely and regularly, to consult with the Government on main lines of policy and accept the determination of the Government to take a much closer interest in the general lines of industrial and commercial policy than in the past. The Government's, interest in prif™ ent.f Prise did not mean interference by the Government at every stage The closer the voluntary consultation the less frequent would be the need for interference. EXTERNAL FINANCES. I tin? ffita^' s external financial posiIkon after the war, Sir John said we | would emerge with heavy overseas I obligations, but at 'the same time our [credit throughout the world would | stand very high. Referring to Britain's export trade he said this had gone : down to 30 per cent, and it was only 50 per cent, in value, whereas we would require to raise it to at least 150 per cent, m value, compared with before vii 6 wsr. _ : .

ti™ri£JJ S financi + al and economic position today was strong enough to be a ftfl^ 16 source °*--:Pride:-Oi Pth! total borrowing during the war of ?P^ rly t £J 3;° o <Wooo, llss than 3^pS -BOW m ofa floating debt

Professor H. B. Kirk has resigned from the position of chairman of the Examining Board of the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture Ton account of health- reasons. At the last meeting of the council of the institute, Professor Kirk's resignation was received with regret, and a motion recording deep appreciation of -