BUSINESS INTERESTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21325, 28 October 1932, Page 14

BUSINESS INTERESTS

DECISIONS AT CONFERENCE — ! STATE TRADING VENTRES # —• UNFAIR COMPETITION OPPOSED [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] DUNE DIN'. Thursday' Delegates at the annual meeting of ths Associated Chambers of Commerce, which was commenced' this morning, were welcomed by the deputy-mayor, Mr. F. W. Mitchell. Mr. W. Machin, the president, in replying, said that in the present economic condition of the Dominion they should no< allow the value of men to be subordinated to the value of gold. Mr. Machin welcomed Mr. H. H. Sterling, chairman of the Railway Board, to the conference, and congratulated him and the board on the businesslike statement recently issued, and on the board's attempt to reduce overhead expenditure to meet the reduced revenue. Mr. Machin read cablegrams from the Empire Chambeis of Commerce, asking that the proposed visit of delegates to New Zealand next year be postponed for three years. The request was agreed to. Public Works Construction The first remit urged the Government to agree that all future construction work for the Public Works Department be carried ,out by contract, through public tenders', and that the department be reconstituted to make it purely an advisory and supervisory body in connection with these works. '•;s[% • Mr. Stronach Paterson (Wellington) said it seemed that there was a likelihood at last of getting somewhere with this remit. It had been supported by the National Expenditure Commission. The remit was carried with practically no discussion. Mr. A. F. Wright moved a remit protesting against Government trading ventures being accorded the protection of the Crown Suits Act, and asking that where the Crown was a litigant in respect of trading ventures, it should be bound by the same rules and laws as operated between subject and subject. Mr. Wright said the remifc had been before annual meetings on many previous occasions. He said the position was a grotesque anomaly and an absurdity. The remit was adopted. Railway Department Activities Mr. D. J. McGowan moved a remit urging the Government to eliminate unfair State and public body competition with private enterprise in trading activities, and the repeal of special legislation which curtailed and interfered with legitimate private trading. He claimed that private enterprise could always provide for greater employment than conld enterprises of ths State. He instanced' the Railway Department's activities in providing fleets of motor-lorries at prices for transport with which private owners could not compete. As State departments increased their competition with private traders more workers must become unemployed. Mr. J. P. Luke said the movement was toward the socialisation of industry. They should protest direct to the Government. Mr. Machin said that the chambers of commerce had always pressed for. a board of business men to run the railways. He thought they would be better to discuss the matter with the board. Mr. Sterling, in answer to a question, said that, as a general rule, the board could not. receive deputations. If the business was important enough the board would receive a. deputation, and had already agreed to accept a deputation M asked by the chambers. ' The remit was adopted. Smaller Parliament Urged The conference reiterated previous decisions urging that land tax be abolished, and income tax substituted. It expressed appreciation of the intention of the Government to place a revised Companies Act on the Statute Book during the current session of Parliament. v The view was held that, the operation ( of the Unemployment Act, 1930, and the amended Acts of 1931 and .1932 should relieve local bodies of the responsibility of providing for the relief of unemployment. . . A remit that the time had arrived when there should be a reduction in the number of members of Parliament was adopted. Mr. Machin said there was a strong hint that appointments to the Legislative Council would be made ou * new principle of future service rather than past service. The conference approved of a new remit that the Government should delay no longer in setting up the promised commission to inquire into the whole system of local body administration. It' was stated that there were 600 local bodies, which had borrowed £72,000,000, and that- this .. was sufficient evidence of the need of ft commission. Delegates were engaged throughout the afternoon on a discussion in committee on "money and prices in New Zealand.'V