DOMINION BUSINESSMEN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 263, 5 November 1937, Page 6

DOMINION BUSINESSMEN

CONFERENCE AT TIMARU associated chambers government marketing r p er Press Association.] TIMARU, Nov. 4. At the annual conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand in moving a remit. ‘That, while entirely opposed to Government marketing, this con£e ?’®" < r. considers it essential that there should be no further extension of the system without the assent of a substantial majority of the producers concerned Mr A. Seaman (Auckland) said that off-setting any benefit of Government control, they had the dangers of control by bureaucrats largely untrained in a particular business and subject to political meddling am. interference and the jettisoning ol those who, from a lifetime study and experience, were best able to a* .isand guide. “We were and are opposed to government marketing of produce, and we are still looking for benefits from that scheme that might make us wish for an extension to other classes of produce," he said, "if, however, those in charge of the affairs of the Dominion shall be determined, despite the hazards of the dairy produce experiment, to extend the scope of Government marketing activities, a measure of elementary justice is called for.” Regimentation was tolerable if not forced, and they considered and urged the Government that in any further move of this character it should seek to ascertain the wishes of that particular body of producers and ghould not impose upon them compulsory adherence to a marketing project unless the scheme had the approval of a substantial majority of the producers. Mr. C. Calvert (Dunedin) opposed the remit, considering it far too sweeping, and suggested that the conference was not in favour of such sweeping action. He favoured no further extension of the system, however. Mr. J. Richards (Stratford) saw a grave danger of inefficiency in departmental officers handling primary produce, and in the handling of a huge amount of produce there would arise great opportunities for corruption. He did not say there was corruption, but it might arise. There was also the political risk. The president suggested that the word “while” be altered to “being” and the resolution finish at the word “system.” Auckland accepted the amendment and the remit was carried unanimously. “That this conference is of opinion that the heavy structure of annual expenditure being erected by the Government represents a potential danger in the event of a fall in the Dominion’s export income,” was a remit moved by Mr. C. Hamilton (Christchurch), who said that taxation this year was greater than last year, and it looked as if the Government was taking more and more from the people without building any reserves. Mr. Newman Wilson (Dunedin): We are a bit old-fashioned at Dunedin, and we believe we are not able to take more out of the bank than we put in. The remit was carried unanimously. The Public W T orks policy of the Government was attacked in a remit from Wellington, Mr. P. Pattrick asserting that in time of prosperity, it should not be necessary to spend so much on unemployment. The PublicWorks policy should be one of prosperity equalisation. The conference agreed that in times

of prosperity the State should refrain from works .other than those urgently | necessary or economically produci live, and in times of depression there | should be a planned programme, thus levelling the peaks of prosperity and depression.