A FAIR DEAL

Hokitika Guardian, 17 June 1936, Page 4

A FAIR DEAL

GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY (Per Press Association —Copyrigho. WELLINGTON June 16. The suggestion from Christchurch tliat the Government intended to ; appoint accountants to investigate the affairs of; important firms, particularly to see the effect of t the new industrial legislation, was specifically denied by the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. M. J.

Savage, in an interview to-night. “Such a suggestion has no. foundation at all,” said lie, Savage, “because it would imply, for one thing, t .at the Government is out looking for trouble. As I have said, time and again, from the public platform and elsewhere, we. have no intention whatever of .harassing business people, and of putting obstacles in their way. L . . “At the same time, this does not , mean that the Government will not watch very closely any tendency on. the part of industry to take undue advantage of changed conditions. There can be no argument against fact that, if one industry-is allowed to exploit the people and to make undue profits, it can only do that either, at the expense of some other industry, or of the consumers. We intend to. watch development of that sort, and if. necessary, to make use of all of the powers that are already available under the Board of Trade Act for dealing with exploitation. ” A, “In the meantime, our desire-is to play the part of referee, seeing that both sides get a lair deal, because we have already recognised that, the man who pays wages is' entitled to consider- t ation as well as the man who receives them.”