THE PUBLIC PAYS

Grey River Argus, 15 August 1945, Page 2

THE PUBLIC PAYS

State Trading Losses The public seldom hear the financial details of State activities, and they do not read Departmental reports. Therefore few people are acquainted with the figures shown in the latest Report on the State Coal Mines (dated, 1944). The profit and loss account for the year ending March 31, gives this entry: Nett Loss. Liverpool mine £10,830 Dobson mine £20,046 Wallsend mine £22,747 Blackball mine £21,768 Tatu mine £28,483 With such results on one year’s working one would think that the State would leave commercial and industrial activities to others, instead of bringing more coal mines under State ownership, as it has done over the last eighteen months. But the country is being governed by polticians obsessed with the idea of State ownership, who want power and control at any price. In spite of the losses and inefficiency inherent in so many State trading activities, the State is always eager to interfere and to enlarge its sphere of activity. If bureaucracy becomes rampant, the public is patient. When losses ensue, the public pays. There is the example of Queensland, where a Socialist Government conducted State mines, canneries, shops and other ventures to such an extent that a total loss of £3,668,429 was involved. This money came from the taxpayers’ pockets. It is time for the public to call a halt to New Zealand’s State Ownership fanatics, whose next move is to take over the Bank of New Zealand and the Internal Air Service. —4B