“Complete Socialisation of Dominion ”

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 278, 24 November 1939, Page 6

“Complete Socialisation of Dominion ”

THREAT TO BOYCOTT COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING BUSINESSMEN ON THE WARPATH Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Nov. 23. Further outspoken criticism of the present legislative policy, particularly in the economic sphere, was made at a largely-attended meeting of Auckland businessmen when a report was received from a committee set up several weeks ago to consider the best menus of bringing the numerous complaints of the commercial community before the Government. Proposals for doing this by means of a representative national delegation after Christmas were outlined, but details of the scheme were not made public. In opening the meeting, the chairman (.Mr. Howie) reviewed the various circumstances which had given rise to the original meeting and to the formation of the committee to take action. He reiterated the point that the businessmen attending would yield second place to no one in their loyalty to King and Empire, and that their uppermost thought would be co operation with the Government to enable New Zealand to play a worthy part in the present war. It was regrettable, however, that the Government by its policy should shatter the prospects of co-opera-tion. “Neither at home nor abroad is there any confidence in our present Government, ’ ’ he said. * 4 Sterling funds continue at a low ebb, the bothersome restrictions of import control have not brought any worthwhile results, and the figures recently published show that withdrawals from the Post Office Savings Bank have been mounting at an alarming rate and this process has been going on for months. The Government cannot describe its own Post Office Savings Bank as a ‘gangster institution.’ “We cannot possibly expect any improvement in our economic situation unless and until the Government itself decides to call a h&lt in its experimental legislation for the complete socialisation of the Dominion and until it also decides to rescind those measures that are , crushing industry and destroying the whole commercial structure of the country,” he added, saying he

was speaking in a personal capacity. Mr. W. J. Roach, a member of the special committee, said that in investigating Government interference in local marketing he had been amazed at the extent to which industries that were now complaining were responsible for their own troubles, in many cases it was they who had asked the Government to interfere. “I freely admit that in taking control the Government went altogether too far and badly messed up the job in a number of glaring cases/' he said, “but by providing the Government with pretexts—often flimsy—to step in some of us deserve all we are getting.” Mr. Roach urged that no similar action of this nature be taken until the committee was able to bring Dominionwide pressure to bear in an effort to persuade the Government to “ease up on its dictator programme.”

Mr. S. B. Macdonald said that in view of the radio activities of the Director of pommercial Broadcasting (Mr. Scrimgeour) he felt it was the boimden duty of all right-think-ing people in Auckland to refuse to buy any article advertised over IZB. He noticed that a meeting of farmers had decided to make a similar request. When farmers, who were the backbone of the country, were described by Mr. Scrimgeour as “Public Enemy No. 3,” then it was about time be was told to get off the air or he would be put off. At the conclusion of the meeting a resolution was passed to the effect that all present, representative of wide city and country interests, completely approved of the steps so far taken by the committee and endorsed the procedure set out. Future support and co operation was also pledged.