INDUSTRIAL REGULATIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 December 1940, Page 10

INDUSTRIAL REGULATIONS

COMMERCE CHAMBER’S PROTEST [per press association.] CHRISTCHURCH, December 5. “I don’t think that there has been anything passed by Parliament which provides such a complete tool with which to box us up,” said Mr. T. N. , Gibbs, at a meeting of the Council of I the Canterbury Chamber of Coml.merce, to-night, while the members I were discussing, critically, the recent Efficiency Regulations. I “These regulations provide an instrument which can carry us to complete Socialistic control, or, given a twist, .to Fascist control, along lines of Corporation control,” Mr. Gibbs said. “We must watch the situation very closely.” A report of the Regulations was .made to the Council by the Chairman i of its Parliamentary Bills Committee, •Mr. A. A. G. Reed, who said that all ;men in industry must feel that they were getting into a terrible situation with the Government heading for complete control of the economy of the country by a “Brains Trust” set up in Wellington, and in its conceit believing that it coufd control all the industry of the Dominion. He did not know what could be done. It was not a case of altering a clause or clauses ■in the Regulations. He felt that all the '.regulations would be repugnant to; men in industry. “There is only one iway to alter the business,” Mr. Reed • said. “You all know what that is.”.

Mr. S. O. Dillon: It seems to me that some individual is frightened that, after having smitten people with a sledge-hammer, there is some life left, and is now bringing out a steam-roller for the final blow. This regulation means that an industrialist is to have no real interest in his own business and in the investment he has made in it.

Mr. A. M. Hollander agreed with a point emphasised by Mr. Reed that the question was not so much one of what might happen in the next year or two, but one of general policy trend. “One hesitates to think what might be the situation, say, in ten years, if this sort <of thing goes on,” Mr; Hollander said. > Mr. Gibbs: Some members talk of manufacturers being affected, but it •is a matter affecting all types of business. I hope that some very effective protest is made.

• It was at first suggested that the Council should ask the Associated Chambers, by telegram, to make representations against the regulations. \ Mr, T. R. V. White suggested that ; the Leader of the Opposition should >be asked to intervene further. Mr. White said that Mr. Holland had handled the matter very competently #n the House of Representatives. This was agreed to, as was a suggestion by Mr. H. S. Williams that a telegram of protest ought also be sent to the Prime Minister. The Council thus decided to send telegrams to the Association Chambers of Commerce, to the Prime Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition, asking that further protests be made against the regulations.

VARIATION IN CONTRACTS WELLINGTON, December 5. A report on 23 petitions, praying for variation in existing contracts in consonance with changes in awards and increases in the cost of materials, was made by the Industries and Commerce Committee of the House today. The Committee reported that at the hearing the petitioners did not I ask for any variation with respect to future tenders, and to that extent the committee regarded the petitions as amended.

“In regard to Government contracts,” the report stated, “the committee is* of opinion that any request for an alteration of terms of a contract could be dealt with by negotiation between the contractor and the Government. In so far as local body contracts are concerned, if a local body is satisfied that an increased payment is justified because of increased costs, it can apply for appropriate validating legislation with respect to such increased payment.”