Before World War I, virtually every industry in Australasia was in a state of unchecked growth.
As the country was indeed lagging behind in various aspects of its development, the government did not impose too many restrictions, but only safeguarded the basic rights of workers.
However, the downside of unchecked growth is significant, as illustrated by the food industry, where food safety is a perennial issue in any era. If food safety is not properly regulated and controlled, hidden dangers are always a ticking time bomb.
Of course, this does not mean that other countries are free from food safety issues. Even the well-established powers such as Britain and France and the emerging superpower United States, all have various food problems.
Any industry that involves capitalists is bound to be corrupted. Capitalists are profit-driven, their main focus is to generate profits, and other impacts are often overlooked.