ASSOCIATED CHAMBERS

Evening Star, Issue 23723, 2 November 1940, Page 10

ASSOCIATED CHAMBERS

REMITS FOR CONFERENCE GAZETTE GOVERNMENT AND HASTY LEGISLATION [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, November 2. The Wellington and Canterbury Chambers of Commerce have combined in sponsoring a remit to the annual conference of the Associated Chambers expressing disapproval of the increasing us© of Orders in,^Council for effecting changes in the law, on the ground that it is contrary to *he principles of democratic government, and urging the Government to discontinue the practice. An Auckland remit reads that conference, while recognising the necessity under war conditions of a number of extensions to the sphere of Government control over, and Government restriction of, private enterprise, urges the Government to give an undertaking for the removal of these controls as soon as possible on the cessation of hostilities.

Wellington has prepared a remit expressing the view that it is not in the best interests of the Dominion that important legislation should he passed without allowing reasonable opportunity to citizens and their organisations to make representations upon it, and recommending that in future the Government allow sufficient time between the introduction and the passing of Bills for those concerned to submit constructive criticism and helpful suggestions. An Auckland remit will be that conference views with grave concern the steady spiralling of costs as the result of progressively increasing award rates, and urges the Government to consider the advisability, as a war measure, of increasing production by resumption of the 41-hour week with payment for the additional hours at ordinary hourly rates.