"FACE THE FACTS"

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 117, 20 May 1931, Page 10

"FACE THE FACTS"

m FORBES' APPEAL. FINANCIAL STABILITY. « THERE IS NO EASY ROAD." ■pTCAf AT PARTY WELCOME. A rousing reception by supporters of the United party on his arrival at the Auckland railway station this morning was Recorded the Prime Minister, the Rfc. Hon. G. W. Forbes. In Ms reply, the Prime Minister emphasised that tlieie was no short-cut method to prosperity, and reaffirmed his belief that the , problem of restoring financial stability j had to be 'faced fairly and squarely. ] Mr. F. H. Burbush, chairman of the ] Auckland provincial executive of the s United party, said it gave the party the < greatest pleasure to do honour to one i who had shown such courage and deter- ; mination in dealing-with the troubles of the times. "In common with all sections - of the community," he added, "we admire 1 the manner in which you have grappled 1 these problems, and assure you of our j support in your efforts. We know this is no time for party politics—that we should do all in our power to prevent the political disruption and consequent economic disaster which has occurred across the Tasman Sea—but as your efforts to bring about a national unity have not so far succeeded, we assure you that the members of the United party in Auckland will not rest until they have stable government in this Dominion." At the call of Mr. Burbush, three cheers were given for the Prime Minister. " Economies Imperative." The Prima Minister said he recalled with extreme pleasure the send-off Auckland had given him on his departure for the Imperial Conference. The object ofMs visit to Auckland was to deal publicly wkfc the psoblems facing

the country. It was his firm conviction that in a time like the present the course to be followed was one would restore New Zealand to a sound financial basis. (Applause.) "The prosperity, progress and welfare of the people," said Mr. Forbes, "are bound up in the fact that we inust keep our financial- machinery working in a thoroughly sound and stable condition. It is extremely difficulty, in view of tlie drop in the prices of our primary products, to carry on with anything like a degree of satisfaction to the people, but the Government, has endeavoured to do its best. What has been done was imperatively necessary to avoid possibly aft even greater disaster. I feel quite certain that the people of New Zealand have sufficient common sense to realise that when there is a drop in revenue of over £20,000.000 they cannot carry on the same rate of expenditure as when they had the £20,000,000 to use.

A Testing Period. "There are no two ways about it. You cannot get a quart out of a pint bottle, and our measure must be drawn accordingly. Juggling with figures will not make two and two equal fire, and there is no use trying to make it appear that there is a short and easy road to the solution of our present economic depression. Again I say,- we have to face the facts, put our house in order, and stand shoulder to shoulder. I am confident New Zealand will come through, and that she will be able to look back on this as a testing period, an experience that will bring .our people closer together and make them understand the problems facing the country better than ever in the past."