WAY TO PROSPERITY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 20 April 1934, Page 6

WAY TO PROSPERITY

PRIVATE ENTERPRISE SOCIALISM OPPOSED The opinion that it was only by private enterprise that the Dominion could return io prosperity was expressed by Mr J. P. Luke at the annual meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. He deplored the tendency towards Socialism on the ground that it would be detrimental to the welfare of the country (reports “The Post”). Mr Luke said that they would he faced in the near future with a fact that they had neglected for so long — that the only chance and prospect of a return to a sound economic condition was through the aegis of private enterprise. The more one examined the change for the better that was taking place in Great Britain, the move one found that the British Government was determined as far as possible to leave industries to develop along their chosen avenues.

“I think wc can congratulate the Prime Minister on the interview he gave in Christchurch during the week-end,” said Mr Luke, “when lie definitely stated that as far as the Government was concerned it did not intend at the present time to restore the cuts which it had been found necessary to make in salaries. 1 know the Prime Minister is on absolutely sound grounds. Until industry and commerce is able to re-estab-lish itself on a remunerative level, surely the Government and local bodies should not increase the burden of costs.” He said that, if they were to bring about the trading conditions they so much desired, the organisations representing the employing interests in the Dominion would have to got together. There was a danger that they would he saddled with more Socialistic conditions than they were to-day. The Chamber of Commerce had been accused on many occasions of destructive criticism, but he did not think that the blame could be placed on the chamber. While all agreed that the Government had had a severe task which it laid faced courageously, and while it was not responsible for the actual conditions which iiad grown up in the Dominion over a number of years, the chamber recognised that it had to fight for a' condition of affairs which would maintain tile country in a state of prosperity. There was a tendency in New Zealand io socialise many industries, but the only way out of the present dif- ■ ficulties was a proper employment of capital in avenues and pursuits which I were properly governed by means of private enterprise.