TRADE RESTRICTIONS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 269, 28 October 1932, Page 8

TRADE RESTRICTIONS

STATE INTERFERENCE RECENT ORDERS IN-COUNCIL. MR H. M. CAMPBELL’S STRONG COMMENT. (By Telegraph—Special to "Tribune.”) Wellington, October 27. Severe comment upon the restrictions surrounding trade and industry through State interference was expressed by Mr H. M. Campbell (Hawke’s Bay) during the Budget debate in the House of Representatives to-day. He criticised the operations of the Meat Producers’ Board on the ground that its work was costing farmers more than it was worth, and he also drew attention to the operations of the State Advances Department, which, he declared, was driving the private lender off the money market.

Discussing previous references to a recent Order-in-Council providing for the restriction of picture theatre construction when it was considered that a town was already adequately served, Mr Campbell suggested that the Government would be well advised to set up a select committee or some other tribunal to inquire into the whole position and set at rest public appreheusion concerning this Order-in-Council, and also the letting of the school books contract by the Minister of Education, who had also been responsible for the theatre regulations. Such an inquiry should be made in fairness to supporters of the Government. He felt strongly about the whole question and wa» of the opinion that it should be clear ed up

HASTINGS THEATRE HELD UP.

The Order-in-Council had resulted in the construction of a theatre in his own town being held up for 18 weeks. This work would have employed about 45 men for four or five months. On the one hand the Government was advising people to create work and loosen their purse-strings, and oil the other hand it was placing obstacles in the way of trade recovery. People who were prepared to work should be left alone to do so, and he appealed to the Government to use a little common sense and allow the work to go ahead. Other instances of State interference were having a disastrous effect throughout the country. The State Advances Office, which Some time ago conducted one of the most popular of the Govern ment’s activities, was now without money to advance. Before this department entered the field of money-lending it was possible to secure loans at about 4 per cent from private lenders, but now the department was shbrt of funds for lending it was impossible to get money anywhere.

ENGLISH MEAT MARKET FLOODED.

The Meat Board provided another instance of State interference. It was formed to regulate shipments overseas, but to-day there was just as much chaos as ever there was in marketing. The present position had been largely brought about by the board. The European pork industry was blamed for the swamping of the English meat market, but this was not the whole cause.

During May no fewer than 18 vessels carrying frozen meat left New Zealand for England, quite apart from vessels which left other countries with big shipments for England. In June ten boats left New Zealand for England within a period of eleven days, and they carried about 1,000,000 carcases of lamb and mutton. Up to this time price conditions at Home had not been so bad, but there had been a total collapse when the market was flooded by large quantities shipped Home by the Meat Board during one short period. The board had taken about £500,000 from the producers, and all it had to show for its expenditure was a building which it had bought in London, and even this was reported to be useless.

TRANSPORT LEGISLATION.

Turning to transport questions, Mr Campbell said that he would like to ask who was in charge of the country —whether it was the Government or the heads of departments. He referred to a letter received by three residents of his district from the Commissioner of Transport (Mr J. S. Hunter) concerning a road service between Hastings and Havelock North. The commissioner had declared that he would not allow the service to be continued and that, if his department did not have enough power under the present Transport Licensing Act to prevent the service, he would see that legislation was passed by Parliament to give him power to stop the service. "Is he a controlling genius to decide what legislation is to be brought, down and what legislation is to go through?” asked Mr Campbell. "I would like to hear from the Government just what is the position—whether it is dictated to or whether it fixes tho policy.”