HOME TRUTHS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 234, 3 October 1931, Page 9

HOME TRUTHS.

Mr. Snowden Replies to Labour

Critics.

FINANCE BILL PASSED.

(British Official Wireless.) (Received 12 noon.) RUGBY, October 2. In the House of Commons, the third reading of the Finance Bill was carried without division.

The Chancellor of the Sir Philip Snowden, answering an Opposition interjection that he should have dealt with the financial position of the country in his April Budget, said that he put before the House last February a statement of the financial position and addressed a meeting of the Labour party with much frankness but got no support. He added that he had said, and repeated later, that the economies necessary could never be carried through merely with the support of a minority Government.

Over and over again he had said that the enforcement of economies was such an unpopular thing that they could only be carried through either by a united House of Commons or by a large majority in the House. They had to wait for the report of the Economy Committee set up by the members opposite and, as soon as that report was decided they acted upon it. They had now submitted proposals for economy which were accepted by Cabinet.

Concluding, he said: "This Cabinet places the internal resources of the country upon a sound financial basis. It is, as was said by the president of the League of Nations Assembly a few days ago, an example of the excellent determination of the British people to face up courageously to adversity. 5 *