TOO MANY INSPECTORS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21325, 28 October 1932, Page 15

TOO MANY INSPECTORS

CURTAILMENT DESIRABLE INTERFERENCE WITH INDUSTRY "This country with its small population is over-governed, over-staffed, overtaxed, and requires drastic curtailment of expenditure, and all Government departments overhauled," said Mr. Albert Spencer, president of the Auckland Provincial .Employers' Association, at the annual meeting yesterday. "The national expenditure up to the end of the last financial year has increased to about £28,000,000. This gives a good indication of the failure of the Government to reduce its overhead expenditure. "It has gradually come home to the community that a sweeping curfailmejit of the army of Government inspectors is long overdue. These inspectors are constantly travelling all over the country, arid are largely the cause of curtailing industry by harassing employers, with the result that labour costs have been cut down by staff reductions, causing a further increase of unemployment. The Government could very well employ itself next session in undoing the many ridiculous laws that it has passed during the last few years. A long list of hampering laws that should be repealed could be made out. This small country is weighed down arid staggering under excessive Government interference with private industrv." The speaker emphasised his point on tho question of inspectors by referring to the recent experience of a small town on the West Coast. The guests at the local hotel comprised the following:—One commercial traveller, commissioner of lands und his assistant, inspector of police, stock inspector, land inspector, school organiser, two school inspectors, inspector of gold, coal inspector, boiler inspector, two inspectors from public works, and later there arrived two members of the Legislative Council and two M.P-'s, followed by a school doctor and his lady assistant, and the school dentist.