THE STATE IN BUSINESS

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1933, Page 7

THE STATE IN BUSINESS

CHAMBERS AS A BULWARK NEED TO WATCH PARLIAMENT. WORK OF ASSOCIATED BODY. Declaring that the chambers of commerce were the only bulwark between private enterprise and State socialism, Mr. A. O. Heany, organising secretary for the Associated Chambers of Commerce, in an address to the Taranaki Chamber last night emphasised the need for strengthening the support of those organisations. While chambers of commerce were not concerned with party politics, and never would be, he said that an important part of their functions was to scrutinise impending legislation and to keep a watch on politics generally, with the object of preventing the State making further inroads on private business or placing additional irksome restrictions upon it. Mr. Heany recounted what the Associated Chambers had done in both these directions, and what it still had to do.

Mr. remarks were similar to said at Stratford yesterday. Referring to the work of Associated Chambers, Mr. Heany recalled that it waa associated with the employers’, manufacturers’ and various other organisations in a conference in 1930 when a thorough investigation of conditions in the Dominion was made and definite economy recommendations were made to the Government; some of them were now being carried out. In 1928 the Associated Chambers co-operated with other bodies in having the arbitration law amended. Other measures in which Associated Chambers had interested itself with varying degrees of success for the protection of private enterprise included the Earthquake Bill, in which it was proposed to raise £1,500,000 for rehabilitation by means of a tax of Is 6d in the £lOO of insurable value, the National Expenditure Commission, Public Works economies, the Sales Tax Bill, Orders-in-Council (representations had resulted in the Orders being made subject to variation or revocation by Parliament), the Building Construction Bill and the repeal of the Board of Trade Act. WORK STILL TO BE DONE. The organisation still had work to do. The Commercial Trusts Act and the Cost of Living Act needed to be wiped out. Measures had to be taken to - secure taxation of State trading operations and the trading operations of power boards in order to place them on the same basis as competing private enterprise, including engineering and contracting businesses, which wanted the opportunity of re-establishing themselves economically. Greater economy in Government was still necessary in accordance with the recommendations of the National Expenditure Commission. The local body system needed reorganisation. Again, it was necessary to continue watching to prevent further encroachments of the State in trade. While it had not stopped State enterprise in certain directions Associated Chambers could guide, and if it succeeded in preventing further encroachments its work would be valuable for that alone. The president (Mr. A. F. Sandford) said he was pleased that the Associated Chambers had interested itself in the Building Construction Bilk He could not understand how that measure was going to do any good. On certain jobs there were both Government and local body inspections. Mr. E. P. Webster brought up the question of the Department of Internal Affairs sending a man round to all totalisator race meetings. He thought a good deal could be saved if the department could be shown some other method of having this work done. ECONOMY SUGGESTIONS. Nr. Heany said his executive would be pleased to consider any suggestions for economy in Government departments. The fact was that though there had been a very big drop in the national income the State had increased its expenditure by 10 per cent. He recognised that that might be partly due to the higher exchange rate, but his executive had made recommendations for further departmental economies. Government economies had not been made in accordance with the reduction in the national income. The executive had suggested it was a question of getting back to the fundamental outlook on State services and doing away with many social services that they could not afford to-day. The object of the Associated Chambers was to keep on showing where economies could be made. Mr. Webster’s point had not been before the executive, but it would receive consideration if forwarded.

Mr. J. A. R. McGregor said he understood the man Mr. Webster had in mind was drawing probably £6OO a year and living at the best hotels to do work a boy from the Stamp Office could do. It was decided to send the question forward to Associated Chambers for consideration by the executive. The president said it was evident from what they had heard that night that the central executive was doing good and very necessary work, and that it was most desirable that the work should be carried on. The executive was asking the local chamber to assist it to the extent of £5O.

The chairman and Messrs. G. Fraser, J. A. R. McGregor, J. McNeill and J. R. Cruickshank were appointed to go into the question of providing for such a contribution.

In reply to Mr. W. P. Martin Mr. Heany said that Associated Chambers of Commerce had recommended the National Expenditure Commission that the number of members of Parliament should be reduced by half and that a reduction should be made in the personnel of the Upper House.