INDUSTRIAL BILL

Hokitika Guardian, 7 October 1936, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL BILL

MEMBERS’ VIEWS DEBATE IN HOUSE YESTERDAY* , , a (Pei Preaa Association, Copyright)* WELLINGTON, October /. The second reading of the .Industrial Efficiency' Bill was continued in the House yesterday when Mr J. Hargest said he did not think the Government had the right to come along at this stage and coerce all business people to submit business undertakings and their plans to a bureau which might or might not be competent, and would most likely hot be competent.

The Hon. H. G. R. Mason congratulated the Minister of Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) on attempting to solve the problem of commercialisation of industry, and he believed a bill of that sort in New Zealand would meet with more success than in older countries where conditions were more firmly established. Mr A. Hanilton said the only thing the bill did was to set up a board, and it gave it power to levy on industry to pay expenses. The bill had no definite purpose, and should be scrapped and substituted by a bill that had a definite purpose. >

The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates said the bill provided for the regimentation of industry, arid it would not work. It would mean increased costs and inefficiency. He said as the direct result of the Minister’s administration of the wheat and flour situation, th e price of bread had gone up a penny to two-pence a loaf. Mr Roberts thought the bill must be on the right lines because leading members of the Opposition had opposed it.

The debate for and against the btll was carried on in the evening, little new matter being introduced into the speeches. 1 Mr Christie said the Minister had no intention of interfering in business where he could avoid it. His hands were already full, and he was not lookihg for unnecessary work. Mr R. A. Wright said the bill was not worth the paper it was written on and he predicted when the Bureau of Industry attempted to put it Into operation, it would break down under its own weight* The bill would meaii that the day of the small businessman h r d gone.; ■)' * - \

Mr S. G. Smith 'said if the hill went through, New Zealand would have a mixtuie of Russian philosophy and half-baked socialism. The debate was, adjourned. .