ECONOMIC PROBLEMS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20295, 3 May 1934, Page 13

ECONOMIC PROBLEMS.

Setting Up of Permanent Council Suggested. The setting up of a permanent National Economic Cotincil to take the place of the commissions that are being set up “from week to week,” the council to gather information, make investigations and recommendations publicly to the Government was stated by a member to be the aim of the National Reconstruction Association. An investigation by a committee in Auckland set up by a conference of local bodies to consider the unemployment problem has been completed and the releasing of a report throws the spotlight on to the activities of the local branch of the National Reconstruction Association which was set up many months ago. A member of the committee stated yesterday that some time had been spent in the study of the problem of rehabilitation and the committee had come to the definite conclusion that what was necessary to keep New Zealand in line with other parts of the world was economic planning. The problems to be studied and the information to be obtained covered so wide a field that it was thought to be a whole time job for someone to attend to the matter of investigation and recommendation.

The local committee was also of the opinion that Cabinet was so busy with the administrative side of the affairs of the country that it was almost impossible for it, or the members of Parliament generally, to attempt to obtain information on all matters which they should take into consideration when settling any plan for the rehabilitation of ew Zealand and this included the solution of the unemployment problem. Until a complete study of the recommendations made in Auckland had been made by such a council, it would be difficult to say whether the recommendations made were wise or unwise he stated. He was interested to see that the Right Hon J. G. Coates, in an article on dairy affairs, had intimated that he was in favour of planning. It was also a matter of interest that Mr W. Machin considered that there would be less and less laissez faire and more planning by the Government in connection with private enterprise in the future, than had been the case in the past.