INDUSTRIAL LAWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22447, 17 June 1936, Page 14

INDUSTRIAL LAWS

EFFECTS OF CHANGES

GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE A SUGGESTION DENIED [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Tuesday A suggestion from Christchurch that the Government intended to appoint accountants to investigate the affairs of important firms, particularly to seo the of the new industrial legislation, was specifically denied by tho Prime Minister, Mr. ' Savage, in an interview this evening. "Such a suggestion has no foundation at all," said Mr. Savage, "because it would imply, for one thing, that the Government is out looking for trouble. As I have said time and again from tho public platform and elsewhere wo have no intention whatever of harassing business people and putting obstacles in their way. At tho same time, this does not moan that tho Government will not watch very closely any tendency on the part of any industry to take undue advantage of changed conditions. "There can bo no argument against tho fact that if one industry is allowed to exploit tho people and make undue profits it can only do that either at the expense of some other industry or tho consumers. Wo intend to watch developments of that sort and, if necessary, to make uso of all tho powers that are already available under tho Board of Trade Act for dealing with exploitation. In tho meantime our desire is to play tho part of a referee, seeing that both sides get a fair deal, because we have always recognised that the man who pays wages is entitled to consideration as well as tho man who receives them "