Manawatu Evening Standard. SATURDAY, NOV. 24, 1945. MORE SOCIALISM.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 306, 24 November 1945, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard. SATURDAY, NOV. 24, 1945. MORE SOCIALISM.

The New Zealand National Airways Bill, now before the ,Eouse of Representatives, is one of the Government’s principal measures of a session noted for the manner in which' it has hurried the Dominion along’ the road to ultimate Socialism, the dbjective of the Labour Party. Notice of its intention to take this step in the country’s socialisation was given by the Government in the Speech from the Throne. In brief the Bill provides for ! the establishment of a million pound corporation with “power to establish, maintain, and operate the air services of the Dominion,” and with “power to take over the assets of the existing companies.” The corporation will also have authority, with the Government’s approval, to operate services beyond New Zealand. In addition to its capital the corporation will have authority to borrow up to £500,000, and it may also borrow from the Bank of New Zealand, while advances can be made too from the National Development Loans, Account as well as the Public Account. In fact, there seems to be no limit to the finance the Corporation may have as it embarks upon this enterprise for which there is no justification at all, but all, of course, at the will or pleasure of the Minister of Finance. The private companies have done an excellent job. Their enterprise has been most commendable and -their service, allowing for the conditions of the past several years of war, leaves no ground for complaint. But they are private concerns and a horrid sight to the Government. So they are to go and their place taken by the State, so much less efficient and without the impetus that makes private enterprise so successful. Mr Holland could not refrain from twitting the Government with this “just one more step towards ultimate Socialism,” and his request that it should say boldly whether it contemplated any further measures of this nature was well directed. With the many problems at lias on its hands, including housing, electricity, coal, and railways, all of which are in a most unsatisfactory state without any apparent solution at hand, the Government would have Been well advised to have left this matter to_ the present concerns. At no time have the public asked for this legislation. State control of air lines had many pitfalls for the United States Government, with higher accident and fatality rates and financial losses. It was not unreluctant to return civil aviation to the efficiency of private enterprise which is doing the work to the public’s entire satisfaction. But because the Australian Socialist Government decided to nationalise the Commonwealth’s air lines the Socialists of this country are slavishly ‘ following the same course. The same line of procedure is also to be - seen in banking legislation. It may be recalled that both the Australian and New Zealand delegates proposed at the Chicago Conference that civil air transport should be internationalised, only ,to find themselves plotting an almost solitary course. Werethe Government to give adequate attention to most pressing problems instead of embarking upon more State enterprises it would earn the public’s approval.