CHECKING BOYCOTT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 27 February 1939, Page 8

CHECKING BOYCOTT

A DIFFICULT PROBLEM STATEMENT BY MINISTER ! United Press Association! CHRISTCHURCH. 25th February. Existing legislation is not sufficiently comprehensive to enable the Government to prevent or restrict boycott. This point was discussed by the Hon. H. T. Armstrong iq an interview today. The practice of boycott could not be approved by anyone, he said. The problem had confronted him a few months ago when he held the portfolio of Minister of Labour and found that there was no means by which the Government could proceed against offenders. Additional legislation would be necessary before boycott could be outlawed. It was open for a business man to proceed against individuals if he could prove that his business had been injured by boycott, but there was no means by which the State could proceed against organisations. Mr Armstrong added that it would not be easy to draft legislation, because boycott was carried out in many forms-and was extremely difficult to deal with. It could be carried out by registered and properly constituted organisations and also by sections of the community that had no organisation in name or standing. Housewives of New Zealand, if they wished, could carry out a boycott of considerable proportions. Business firms or even individuals who had to contend with an organised effort of that sort would suffer greatly, and it would be extremely difficult for the Government to check the movement. The Minister also said that boycott was a common practice in business circles. Many retailers knew, if they sold certain articles below a fixed price, that their supplies would immediately be cut off This was another aspect of the problem that would have to be taken into consideration if additional legislation was being introduced.