BUDGET PROPAGANDA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 154, 1 July 1940, Page 6

BUDGET PROPAGANDA.

Mr. Nash introduced his Budget in a speech occupying nearly an hour on Thursday night. Last night before any opportunity was given to members of the Opposition to state their views he again monopolised the air from every single station in New Zealand, national and commercial, to make out a case for his policy and to suggest that any criticism which may have been made was unfair and ill-informed. No opportunity was offered to Mr. Hamilton or anyone else associated with the Opposition to criticise the Budget under equal conditions. No offer was made to them of the use of the microphone to explain where improvements might have been made or •economies effected in order to ease the burden. Mr. Hamilton will be heard to-morrow night, but from one station only, under conditions of interruption and interjection which do not apply to a studio statement, and followed by an immediate reply from the biggest gun which can be put up against him. Mr. Nash repeated his excuses for t*ie huge civilian Budget—practically the same amount as the whole of the war expenses account. Everybody approves of the war effort being brought to and maintained at its maximum, but when such huge expenditures are involved on the military side the feeling is general that much more might have been done to keep within bounds the drain upon the pockets of the taxpayers for non-reproductive expenditure. That class of expenditure has increased enormously since the Labour Government took office. The opportunity, and the necessity, for a check upon it arises with the number of men withdrawn from industry aad from unemployment relief into military and naval service.