Will Not Harass Business People

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 141, 17 June 1936, Page 7

Will Not Harass Business People

PRIME MINISTER DENIES SUGGESTED INVESTIGATIONS Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. A suggestion from Christchurch that the Government intended to appoint accountants to investigate the affairs of important firms, particularly to see the effect of tho new industrial legislation, was specifically denied by the Prime Minister (Mr Savage) iu an interview to-night. “Such a suggestion has no foundation at said Mr Savage, “because it would imply for one thing that 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 putting obstacles in their way 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 the changed conditions. “There can bo no argument against the fact that if one industry is allowed to exploit tho people and make undue profits it can only do that either at the expense of some other industry or the consumers. We intend to watch developments of that sort and if necessary to make use of all tho powers that aro already available under the Board of Trade Act for dealing with exploitation. In the meantime our desire is to play the part of referee, seeing that both sides get a fair deal, because wo have already recognised that tlie man who pays wages is entitled to consideration as well as the man who receives them.”