NOT A SUCCESS.

Northern Advocate, 1 December 1921, Page 4

NOT A SUCCESS.

Complaint was made in the House of Representatives by the Leader of the Labour Party the other day that figures demonstrating the failure of State industrial Ventures in the Commonwealth were not up to date. It may be of interest, therefore, to supply some up-to-date figures which appear in recent Sydney newspapers. They relate to the State meat works and steamers in Western Australia. A Select Committee of the Legislative Council has beeu investigating 'this State enterprise, ana a telegram from Perth dulod November 23 shows the financial position to be as follows: Debit, £1,245,852; credit?, £337,106; debit balance, £907,747. The loss on operations for 'the three years Is stated to be £325.504. It is interesting to no.te that in two years the boarding canteen for •the employees involved a loss of £8400. as it cost the Government £1 16s Od weekly,, while .the.men paid only £1 a week. The loss incurred on these favoured State employees was, of course, made up by their fellow workers in other occupations and the community generally. That is one of the drawbacks of the.se State ventures: the public have to foot the bill to meet the losses incurred by mismanagement arid waste. It is perhaps hardly surprising in the circumstances stated that the Select Committee recommended the suspension of operations indefinitely, and that the Government .should endeavour to lease or sell the works as' early as possible. In the meantime the committee advised that no further capital be spent on this .State enterprise.