WEAK ADMINISTRATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 33, 9 February 1928, Page 10

WEAK ADMINISTRATION.

GOVERNMENT CRITICISED. i ADDRESS BY MR. G. W. FORBES DECREASED TAXATION. The declaration that the Prime Minister (Hon. J. G. Coates) had acquired ■ his reputation for getting things done through heavy expenditure of public money in the administration of Public Works affairs, -was made by the Leader of the Nationalist party (Mr. G. W. Forbes) in criticising the Government in the course of & speech delivered in the Town Hall last evening. During the last election the Government had told the electors that to vote for the Nationalists was to vote for Coates, for the Nationalists would carry their votes to the Reform party, and a!s a result t-lie latter were returned with an overwhelming majority. In his experience of Parliament, Mr. Forbes did ,not remember any election in which the candidates had so effaced themselves. There were signs of a serious "crack" in the Reform ranks, and particularly when ,the Prime Minister presented the Licencing Bill at last session was he placed |in a humiliating position. His own supporters in the House had made him "walk the plank" with his hilL The more sympathetic representatives of other .parties saved Mr. Coates from a "watery grave." Mr. Forbes said he had never jseen such fumbling and weakness in the iadministration of the country's affairs 'as existed at present, and there was a j lamentable lack of leadership in the House. Continuing, he dealt with the financial aspects of the political situation. According to the last Budget, he said, the inational debt was £245,000.000, the debt lhaving been increased by £7.000,000 during the year. The annual bill was |'■ £10,594.000, some of which was returned 'by interest-earning department*, while i £3.500.000 was in connection with the war debt. In spite of that, however, there had to be found out of taxation a ! sum of £5,700,000. Mr. Forbes contended I that the Government could not talk of ! economy when expenditure was increasjing and revenue was decreasing. Discussing taxation, he said that Mr. Coates had spoken against increases in taxation. Under the guise of a readjustment of the incidence of taxation, however, he actu?2y took £200,000 additional from the people. With the enforcement ' of the petrol tax, an extra burden had also been placed on motorist's, who were •'called upon to provide £2,250,000 annually towards the maintenance of roads He believed that the motorists should contribute towards the upkeep of the highways, but when the petrol tax was imi posed the tyre tax and other should hag been remitted. ~