THE 1928 COMMITTEE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20708, 4 May 1929, Page 22

THE 1928 COMMITTEE.

EXPLANATION OF ITS OBJECTS

Last week a meeting called by the local branch of the “1928 Committee'' was held in the Jockey Club board room. About 90 representatives of commercial, professional, industrial, and farming interests were present. Mr F. W. Mitchell occupied the chair.

The chairman, on opening the proceedings, briefly explained the constitution and the purpose of the 1928 Committee No doubt most of those present had buffered in one form or another from unfair competition. That was the lot of every business man sooner or later. When it came from individuals it could be met and overcome. The unfair trader in the long run was bound to come to grief. But when the State, represented by the Government of the day, entered upon unfair competition, the position was different. The State had unlimited capital at its disposal, the earnings of the mass of the people, and it could ' maintain unfair trading against private enterprise, as long as it pleased, with great loss to the legitimate trader and with no abiding advantage to the. public. This evil, which had existed for many years under different Governments, was brought into special prominence by the passage of the Dairy Control Act, which, without involving the State in actual trading, endowed a board elected by a mere section of the community, with absolute authority over a large section of the Dominion’s produce without any regard to the wishes of the producers. It was this proceeding that . ultimately brought into existence the 1928 Committee. Mr Mitchell having touched briefly upon the growth and activities of the committee, alluded to attempts that had been made to associate it with party politics. He wished the audience to understand definitely that the promoters of the movement and its subsequent supporters eschewed politics altogether. Members might have what politics they pleased, but they were not to saddle them on to the committee in any shape or form. Mr Gordon Coates, the Reform Leader, dealt sympathetically with the committee, and assisted it in reaching some of its goals and in making good headway towards others. Sir Joseph Ward, the present Prime Minister, had been equally sympathetic and helpful. The committee had found abstinence form. party politics a distinct advantage to its work. The chairman concluded by introducing Mr, Stronach Paterson, of Wellington, the chairman of the committee, and Mr H. S. E. Turner, of Christchurch, to the meeting.

Mr Paterson, who was received w r ith applause, said that the presence of Mr Turner and himself at the gathering was due to a desire to give the'people of Otago and Southland a better idea of the aims and objects and work of the committee than they were likely to obtain from some of its critics. He traced the events and the needs which had led up to the formation of the committee, acknowledging the inspiration that had been obtained from the Welfare League, and sketched briefly the efforts and achievements of the organisation. Briefly, the committee had tried to get results, instead of merely passing resolutions and waiting for the results to come of their own accord. It had considered very carefully what means were available to give effect to its wishes and had come, to the conclusion that its activities should be shaped in two directions : {1) To a steady and continuous conference with the Government of the day in connection with the cases presented to it in order to get more substantial redress for the grievances disclosed, and {2) to educate . public opinion to a better appreciation of its efforts to do away with unfair Government interference with business in any shape or form. This work the committee had pursued unremittingly during the past year. He thought he would be supported by the representatives of the executive in Dunedin when ho said that a substantial measure of its aims had been achieved. Few of the existing grievances were new. They had been mounting up for 20 years or more. The isolated efforts by individuals to obtain redress had in most cases failed, but the consolidated efforts of the committee were bearing fruit. The organisation had striven to co-ordinate the efforts of the individual traders, and it had achieved an encouraging measure of success. The work had gone on quietly throughout last year. When a new Government took office, however, the executive had to begin again, as it .were, and it was satisfactory to know that it had obtained from the new Government, as it had obtained from the old, a very encouraging hearing., ‘ The members of the executive had had conferences with the new Prime Minister and the new members of the Cabinet, and had been very cordially received, notwithstanding the fact that they were popularly supposed to be on the “ wrong side of politics.” The conversations with the Prime Minister were largely confidential, and could not, of course, be repeated, but the executive would be disregarding none of its obligations to Sir Joseph Ward in saying that he assured the representatives of the committee a fair hearing. Mr Paterson touched lightly upon the stories that were being thrown at, the committee and its activities. It was a pity, he thought, that people who had not troubled to make themselves acquainted with the objects of the-com-mittee should accuse its. members of seeking advantages over their fellows, of log-rolling in one direction or another, and of serving some political party purpose. No body of the kind ever had been more frank than the 1928’ Committee had sheen in to. its constitution and. its operations. It was wise legislation and judicious administration that would remove many of the evils that had been to light by the committee, and if the demand for- such legislation and such administration amounted to party prejudice then the committee would, have to smile under the misrepresentations, ihe committee was accused of seekin" to abolish great State departments, such as the Public Trust,? State Insurance. Mate Kail ways, and even State Post a ' u J Telegraph Offices. The absurdity of those suggestions simply betrayed the insincerity of their authors. What the committee really claimed was that opportunity and encouragement should be given to private enterprise, and that State concerns competing against it should do so on level terms, subject to the same laws, the same taxation, and the same limitations. That, and that only, was square. Mr H, S. E. Turner, who also was greeted with applause, after complimenting Mr Paterson . upon his lucid explanation of the position, said that as a Christchurch man by adoption, he was glad to be present at the gatherin''. The people of Christchurch looked mi to Dunedin as “something special.” A , lac always regarded Dunedin as the birthplace of private enterprise in INew Zealand. Most of the important businesses throughout New Zealand were actually born in the capital of Utago. In these circumstances it seemed almost unnecessary for the 1928 Committee to send a delegation . to J*® southern city. He felt that noth Mr Paterson and he might be pushing an open door. He wondered, however, if anyone who really thought that the interference which the Government had imposed upon private enterprise dur ing the past 20 years was a legitimate function of Government or in the public interest. He did not think so. There was abundance of money in New Zealand at the present time. One had only to look at the fixed deposits in the banks and at the height to which gilt-edged securities had gone in Older to realise this fact. And yet there was more unemployment in New Zealand at the

present time than had been the case for many years back. Business men, who had been accustomed .to . venturing their money in the past, had felt that they were not getting a fair chance under existing conditions. It was a menace of this kind that had brought the 1928 Committee into existence. It w 7 as designed to stop the encouragement of the Government to bureaucracy beyond legitimate bounds. It would not be disputed that the Government had actually gone beyond those bounds. The whole question was one of Socialism in a disguised shape against private enterprise. The Government had found itself on a slippery slope, and could not stop itself. This was the trouble in which the country was involved, and the committee was seeking to assist in extricating it from its peril. The committee was not a secret body, and the more publicity it got the better it would be appreciated. It was not seeking to protect any private interests, but to protect private enterprise and personal initiative without which the country must stagnate. Mr Turner thought the committee only required to have its aims and efforts to be understood to win the goodwill of every thinking honest man in the country. If Dunedin had any regard for its achievements in the past and regard for its children in the future it woull come into the movement with both hands and feet and as one man. Mr Gerald Benson proposed the follouing motion—“ That this meeting cordidly supports the 1928 Committee. We consider it is deserving of the teartiest co-operation,' and resolve that all present enrol themselves as members, and use every effort to secure financial assistance for it.” r H. L. Cook seconded the- motion, which was carried unanimously. Mr A. Ibbotson moved—“ That this meeting recommends the enlargement of the 1928 Committee so as to embrace representatives from all branches of trade, industry, professional, and farming interests; also that the larger general committee shall elect a small working committee consisting of seven men, with power to add to their number.” The motion was carried unanimously, and a very hearty vote of- thanks to the speakers concluded the proceedings.