DISAPPOINTMENT OF WORKERS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25270, 23 August 1947, Page 10

DISAPPOINTMENT OF WORKERS

VIEWS OF MR A. B. GRANT “E=ch of us judges the Budget from his class point of view. The worker is disappointed. The Budgel does nothing to ease the pressure upon the working people.” This comment on the Budget was made yesterday by Mr A. B. Grant, secretary of the Canterbury Trades and Labour Council.

“If Mr Nash really means that the only real solution of New Zealand’s difficulties is to produce more food to aid the needy of Britain, and more of other goods to improve the Domin-

ion’s own standard of living, then his Budget approach is unreal,” added Mr Grant. “The burden of taxation should be reduced, particularly the direct and indirect taxation on the lower income groups. “Rather than give this incentive to the working people, Mr Nash has allowed the economic depressions of Britain and the pending depressions in other countries to colour his vision. From the Budget and recent other decisions of the Government, it would appear that unless they make more effort with their class organisations, the workers of New Zealand will be driven into an economic and social retreat from their present standard.

“The workers should become awake to the fact that the organised downward pressure from the. employing class upon the politicians is becoming more effective in expression than is the upward pressure of the workers. If this is not taken cognisance of and acted against, the workers are at the beginning of a retreat.”