STATE AND PRIVATE ENTERPRISE

Southland Times, Issue 16844, 21 September 1911, Page 5

STATE AND PRIVATE ENTERPRISE

SIR JOHN FINDLAY'S IDEAS. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON. Sept. 20. When the Auckland Guardian Trust and Agency Hill was before the Legislatlve Council to-day questions respecting the necessity of the Government ensuring the solvency of .such companies and the rights of the Public Trust Office wore raised. In replying, .Sir John Findlay (Attorney-General) said lie did not think it was right that the Government should put restrictive legislation on any enterprise that could be carried on privately. While (hero were avenues in which the .State alone should act, private enterprise in other respects should he given a reasonable opportunity of carrying on its operations. in reference to the field covered by the State Fife and Fire insurance Offices, for Instance, there was neither occlusion nor Justification for shutting out private enterprise. It was sufficient to know that the operations of the State offices were a sufficient check on private enterprise. The charges made by the Publie Trust Office were not limited by Statute, as some speakers supposed. It would be sufficient if companies of the kind under notice wi re required to furnish reasonable guarantees of their financial stability.