NO CRAZY IDEAS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 160, 8 July 1937, Page 18

NO CRAZY IDEAS.

GOVERNMENT'S PLANS. SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY. MAGNITUDE OF TASK. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON', this day. People who indulged in superficial criticism of the Government would be ashamed of themselves if they were aware of their ignorance of the magnitude of the Government's task, stated the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, when addressing the annual conference of the New Zealand Workers' Union in Wellington, reports the "Standard." Mr. Semple said that Cabinet had a limited amount of money to work with. Some people thought the Government had only to set up a machine and turn out money as a butcher turned out sausages, but the Labour Government would never subscribe to those crazy ideas. The Government hod been told that it ought to take over every bank and financial institution in the country. That was an impossible proposition. The Government was already the only one in the world which had the sole right of note issue. Further stops would be taken, but only after Mich full consideration thnt Cabinet members could be certain that no injury would be done to anvone.

''No organisation in this country will have any success if it tries to persuade the Government to do anything rsus-h or hasty," said Mr. Semple. "The Government will carve out its own honest pathway and will take no step the soundness of which is not evident. The Government is the custodian of the well-being of all the people, and has a full sense of its responsibility.

"All reformers have been subject to foul criticism from blasphemers and scandalmongers, and Cabinet has had its share. We don't expect praise from the top, but we do expect recognition from those whom we serve." Whatever happened, the Government would not barter away its principle*, though it> was handling problems that were honeycombed with dangers.

Mr. Semple said that the tribute paid to Mr. Savage by the Empire Chamber of Commerce in accepting his thesis that raising the spending power of the workers was the way to national prosperity was the greatest tribute ever paid a statesman. The speaker had tried to do the same thing in a small way with Public Works men. "All round the camps now,"' said the Minister, "I see women in their little homes as happy almost as flower girls. Two years ago they had to depend on charity and clothea drives."