BUSINESS MEN IN FORCES

Southland Times, Issue 24597, 20 November 1941, Page 4

BUSINESS MEN IN FORCES

Move To Safeguard

Interests

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, November 19. That steps be taken to safeguard the interests of men engaged in businesses who are called up for territorial or overseas service formed the text of recent representations by the Dominion executive committee of the New Zealand Returned Services Association to the Minister of Industries and Commerce and his department. Instances were given where men engaged in businesses had been called up for service and shortly after their entry into camp businesses conducted by those of foreign extraction were opened in close proximity. The association passed the following resolutions: —

“That no alien, enemy or otherwise, be entitled to start any business or profession without first having obtained a licence from the appropriate Government department concerned, and that such department take into consideration when considering the licence the fact of New Zealanders having had to give up a similar class business in that area to enter military service and that the application and the alien’s status be advertised.”

“That unless in the nublic interest, a licence not be granted to someone else while such men are on service, or if necessary in the public interest a temporary licence be granted to anyone else during the absence on service of men concerned.” MINISTER’S REPLY The Minister, in reply to the first resolution, stated that the Bureau of Industry was the only body that could in any way control new entrants into particular industries, and that the only industries in respect of which such authority existed were those licensed under the Industrial Efficiency Act. He added that steps had already been taken to protect those engaged in such licensed industries who had been called to the armed forces.

“The position of new entrants into businesses which are not licensed,” the Minister continued, “is one for general Government policy, and I am taking an early opportunity of discussing the matter fully with my colleagues.” The department in its reply repeated the fact that the only industries that were in any way controlled were those licensed under the Industrial Efficiency Act, and said that in so far as the position in particular localities was concerned, should new applications come before the Bureau of Industry licences previously granted to members of the armed forces for those localities would be taken into account before decisions were made.

The association is to represent to the Government the position of unlicensed businesses, not those licensed under the Industrial Efficiency Act—some 37 industries—to refer to the Press report of evidence _ given before the Price Tribunal inquiry (that fruit shops in the Auckland province since the outbreak of hostilities had increased by 42) and to ask what steps were being taken to protect the interests of men undergoing service with the armed forces who were in business before joining such forces.