CONTROL OF INDUSTRY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18547, 6 November 1934, Page 5

CONTROL OF INDUSTRY

STATE CO-OPERATION

In a speech at tho .banquet- given by the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, tW president, Mr. A. M. 'Seaman, Auckland, dealing with the. complaint, ot business men that, “there was too much Government interference, in business,” said there was milch truth in (lie Prime. Minister’s contention that requests for interference and control generally came from the very people who protested against it. •‘The objection of the average business man to Government interforenco is largely one of lip-service,” Mr. Seaman said. " “He will gladly submit to or even seek such interference if he conceives it (o be, to his own financial profit. His objection is largely to the abstract idea and not to its concrete application. “In New Zealand there is ample evidence of the Government’s intention to take.a general control of certain fields of activity. Hitherto the Chambers of Commerce have shown an uncompromising hostility to any moves of this nature, hut now, it seems, there is a strong and growing sentiment in favor, of. a more conscious and concerted planning of certain of our national activities. Tf there is to lie a greater measure of control. it is essential that that control should be largely exorcised by experienced commercial men, rather than that they should’ stand bv as critics of control measures directed by bureaucrats and theorists.”