NO SOCIALISATION

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 February 1947, Page 7

NO SOCIALISATION

GOVERNMENT AND GROCERY BUSINESSES (F.A.) GISBORNU Feb. 12. “Let me say unequivocally that there is no intention on the part of the present Government- —nor has there been either the desire or intention —to enter into the field of retail distribution,” Mr D. G. Sullivan, Minister of Industries and Commerce, told the Dominion Grocers’ Federation conference to-day. The Government, he said, had never had the slightest intention of taking over and socialising grocery businesses. Referring to the co-operative enterprise bi the Hutt Valley. Mr Sullivan said the Government because of the overwhelming desire of the consumers decided that the Co.operative Society should be the only tenant of Government rental shops in the Hutt Valley housing areas. There was no restriction on private individuals or companies commencing business or Carrying on existing businesses on privately-owned land adjacent to the State housing areas, and there was no intention of restricting private businesses from servincing State tenants. STRONG DISAPPROVAL BY R.S.A. BRANCH (P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. .The Hutt Valley R.S.A. passed a resolution that while agreeing in the principle of co-operative trading generally, the executive strongly disapproved of the announcement that cooperative societies were to be granted a monopoly throughout New Zealand, especially in the Hutt Valley. Many ex-servicemen have applied for tenancies in prospective shops to be built in the Taita, Naenae and Waddington State housing area and, while full details are not available, it is be- ■ lieved the number of applications received by the Lower Hutt Rehabilitation Office runs into three figures.