DETRIMENTAL LEGISLATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21164, 22 April 1932, Page 12

DETRIMENTAL LEGISLATION.

Sir,—The ever-increasing interference of Government departments, and th© lature itself, with private enterprise have very detrimental effects upon in dus try and trade. The latest examp relative to the building of new ■P lc ™ r theatres, is in line with other thro ttl-ng measures not so readily recognise being injurious to the common J %vellar !. For example, numerous bodies and pn individuals are sponsoring a variety 0land settlement schemes, but it does n s?em to be generally recognised that costs of production were reduced t would even now be plenty of money or land settlement., purely by mdiviuu _ enterprise. Until costs are reduce 1 ® these schemes must remain futile, me. give a single example of the effects restrictive legislation in this respect., i have before me a very interesting p»P* on costs and prices, by Professor A. • Tocker, M.A., Canterbury College, ana in n, list, of ten sections of common co modifies timber ranks highest in the P rl index (186) on the comparative ngur for 1900-13 and 1925-31. The reason Professor Tocker gives for ,V dated index for timber (100 being base unit) is "the high degree of pro tion given the timber industry bv im P° duties." Those interested in land settlement would do well to note that the r commodity wanted is timber, for housi gi furniture, farm buildings and yet we have the we ghty handicap ' what one might aptly call an em a g duty" mi one of the prime necessities land settlement. Drastic reduc 10n . these duties would automatically se , Iho rent problem, where the supp 5 houses does not equal the. deman , where, in consequence, reductions in re have not, taken place. There would s be a mild boom in building, and J"' 5 play of the natural forces would w much better solution of the rent P r ° than any compulsory flat-rate reducti One could easily quote many mora . stances of the damaging legislation country is suffering from. An and continuous campaign of enUg ment is needed to open the eyes ol . people to the above-mentioned ana glaring causes of our present te ß^jjj c h stagnation, by no means all of can be correctly ascribed to W® prices for exports. T. E. McMuM**