Price control in New Zealand, 1915-1955: an administrative study of government-business relations

Abstract

The political scientist, naturally prone to lose the individual in the organization at all times, must find the prefacing of his own works of research a most congenial task: by the time he has finished enumerating all the people without whose aid a particular work could never have been completed, he can, with a bit of luck, disclaim well-nigh all personal responsibility for anything in it. First in order of culpability he can place the Professors and Lecturers under whom he studied: if they had not somehow contrived to invest the subject with interest and significance, the student would obviously never have endured to anywhere near Honours level in the first place. Secondly, there are all those who gave the researcher the benefit of their criticism, expertise and knowledge, and who can in return expect to be misquoted, quoted out of context and generally used to buttress arguments they never entertained themselves and towards which their sympathy might be very limited. Finally, there is the invariably unfortunate typist, who, long before reaching the final chapter, has had ample opportunity to learn why theses are traditionally considered unpromising material for publication. In this order, then, I should like to express my most sincere gratitude and appreciation to Professors R.S. Milne and K.J. Scott, of the Department of Political Science, Victoria University of Wellington; to Messrs. Henry G. Lang. B.A., B.Com., D.P.A., A.R.A.N.Z., Chief Research Officer, The Treasury, Wellington, and to Henry L. Wise, M.Com., F.R.E.S., A.R.A.N.Z., Director of Price Control, J.J. Bryant, B.A., Research Officer of the Department of Industries and Commerce, and G.E. Stace, Legal Enforcement Officer, Price Control Division; to Messrs. Herbert W. Martin, Treasurer, General Motors (N.Z. ) Ltd., Petone, Jack: Haisman, Public Accountant, Wellington, to F.E. Tinson, of Colonial Motors, Ltd., Owen G. Melgren, A.R.A.N.Z., A.C.I.S., onetime auditor for Korma Mills (N.Z.) Ltd.; and to Mrs. Diane Singleton, who typed the rather unenlivening and somewhat illegible manuscript.