STATE INTERFERENCE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11950, 22 May 1933, Page 3

STATE INTERFERENCE

HAMPERING EFFECTS ON INDUSTRY CRITICISED,

SO Cl AL IS ATI 0 X TRENDS

AUCKLAND. May 18

A warning against what he termed tins growing tendency toward socialisation in government was uttered by Mr. J. Pearce Luke, of Wellington; vice-president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce, in an addies,s given at an Auckland Chamber of Commerce luncheon. “Definite viewx have been expressed in certain quarters that tin Chamber of Commerce is interfering in politics." said Air. Luke. “J want to be perfectly frank. To engage iu party politics is C|u - tiling, but to take an interest in po.iticr generally- and iu tbe legislation oc the country is quite- another. It is part and parcel cf our iunctions. “A study of the last 80 or 10 years.” he continued, “shows that the political trend in New Zealand toward an extension of social seivices has brought about a condition cf affairs in which the Slate- has tended more and more to grasp privileges which are rightly those of private enterprise. How ano "'o going to combat this growing tendency” of the State to take charge of cveTv commercial and industrial activity ?”

During those 80 or 10 years, added Mr. Luke. Now Zealand bad been following a system of unbalanced industrial development, so unbalanced indeed that to-day one side of /the eoufibry’s industrial life bad been fostered largely as a result of grants from the Government while every other avenue of industry and commerce bad been strangled by all kinds of prohibitions, inhibitions, and restrictions. The reason the Dominion was in difficulties to-day "as very largely because what was incorrectly called secondary industry had been restricted and hampered.