CONTROL OF INDUSTRY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19132, 29 September 1936, Page 9

CONTROL OF INDUSTRY

MANUFACTURERS’ VIEW PRINCIPLE APPROVED BUREAUCRACY OPPOS ED (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night. A conference of representatives of the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation was held in Wellington last week to consider the Industrial Efficiency Bill subsequently brought forward by the Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan. The representatives spent two days in an. analysis of the bill, a number of meetings between the federation and the Minister being necessary. Numerous improvements and safeguards were recommended to the Minister. Mr. Sullivan stated in the House on Friday that the manufacturers• organisation had endorsed the bill in principle," but they opposed the introduction of bureaucratic or Public {service control." This morning. Mr. A. E. Mnnder, secretary of tiie Manufacturers’ - Federation,. confirmed this statement of the attitude of the federation. The principles of licensing, planning and co-ordination of industries had been first endorsed by iho Manufacturers' Federation,conference -more than two years ago, lie., said’, and the manufacturers had- proposed legislation. In the manufacturers’ scheme it was intended that ]iowers should be exercised jointly bv representatives of the industries and representatives of the consumers, without political or departmental control. The present Government’s bill differed mainly in that the Minister was to be given supreme power, - while it provided that the majority of the bureau should consist of departmental officials. Nevertheless, he said, it must be admitted that the Government had largely met the manufacturers’ objection to purely Publie Service control by agreeing to add to the bureau two permanent representatives of manufacturing industries generally, and two temporary representatives of whatever industry was under consideration.