ADVICE WELCOME

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22673, 10 March 1937, Page 14

ADVICE WELCOME

BUSINESS PROBLEMS GOVERNMENT'S INTEREST STATEMENT BY MR. SAVAGE VALUE OF CO-OPERATION The Willingness of the Government at all times to "listen to the other fellow's point of view" was stressed by the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, in responding to a welcome extended to him at a luncheon given by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce in tho Town Hall yesterday. There was an exceptionally large attendance, which included the Minister of Health, the Hon. P. Fraser, the JJinister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, the Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webb, the

Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, the Mayor, Mr. Ernest Davis, members of the legislature and representatives of local bodies.

The president of the chamber, Mr. W. R. Fee, said the presence of the Prime Minister was taken as a gesture of goodwill from the Government to the Chamber of Commerce. Various representations had been made to Mr. Savage since his Government assumed office, and they had always met with courteous, prompt and well-reasoned replies, even if the replies did not always fulfil expectations. Interests <ft Business

"It may not be possible for us to agree with the whole of the policy or all the proposals of tho Government," Mx. Fee said, "but we hope to be of some service in watching the interests of the business community and making suggestions for their improvement. We appreciate the honesty and sincerity of purpose of the Government in its effort to better the conditions of the people, but we hold tho view that the welfare of the individual worker is inevitably linked up with the welfare of the business in which he is engaged." Mr. Fee recalled that 30 years ago he had heard Mr. Savage expounding the same principles which were guiding him to-day. That in itself was an achievement. There M"ere few men who would be prepared to face up to-day to the resolutions they made 30 years ago.

The Same Basic Interest "Chambers of commerce, by offering their advice, can continue to help the Government, the business community which they represent, and the people of this country," said Mr. Savage. "It would not be right for me or for the Government to take the power to say the last word on everything. There is always a possibility that the other fellow may be right, and I hope the time will never come when I will push advice aside as if it did not count.

"I personally cannot imagine a state of society in which all men would think alike, but if we have to disagree about details let us agree to differ. We all have the same basic interest—the welfare of New Zealand as a whole. I myself have to speak to people of all shades of political opinion, and I am bound to say that in the majority of cases they make some impression on my mind."

Advice and Legislation Advice which came from a chamber of commerce", the Prime Minister continued, was generally advice from people experienced in some particular phase of commercial practice." Naturally, it was impossible for a Government to include in its own ranks experts in everything, but its duty was to sift the evidence tendered to it by men who understood particular problems in an endeavour to arrive at a solution suitable to all. Any Government worthy of the name was bound to take notice of advice when it was backed up with knowledge. "We need all the guidance we can get," Mr. Savage added. "We cannot write all the advice tendered to us into the law of the land, but I can assure you that representations which you have made to us have been employed in the shaping of our legislative proposals. This kind of co-operation is of the utmpst value, and I hope it -will still be forthcoming in the future."