STATE TRADING ENTERPRISES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15558, 16 March 1914, Page 6

STATE TRADING ENTERPRISES.

The trading enterprises upon which the West Australian Government has embarked have conferred considerable benefit upon the community, according to Mr. John Scaddan, the Premier of the Stat*. He says that none* of them were undertaken with a view to profit-making, but to break up combines and to secure the charging of fair and reasonable prices to consumers. " Our enterprises Save fulfilled expectations," he remarked. "The State steamers, for example, were introduced to break up the meat combine, and to secure free markets, and they have had the desired effect. We have no occasion to regret the experiment. We have four retail butchering establishments in the metropolitan area, where the people purchase their meat over the counter. They are all going strong. We have succeeded in giving the people cheaper meat, making an all-round reduction. We could not have done that if we had not owned the steamers to bring the stock down from the coastal districts. We have had a State sawmill going for some time, and have now established three others in the Karri forests. These are just commencing to operate, and there is no doubt tnat they will be as successful as our other ventures. We have also made a start with State brickyards, but they are not producing yet. We are determined . that as far as supplies from the Government are concerned, we are not going to allow any combine to squeeze the public. . At present the brickyards are intended for Government purposes only, but we will probably extend our operations and supply the public as well if we come to the conclusion that the brick companies are not charging a fair thing. We already have three State-owned hotels, and we have three more under construction; with the profits froi* the hotels we provide libraries and readingrooma in connection with them. Our experience of national undertakings is certainly in favour of them."