CONSTITUTIONAL SOCIETY

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31340, 10 April 1967, Page 12

CONSTITUTIONAL SOCIETY

Economic Council Supported The Constitutional Society welcomed the views expressed this week by the retiring | chairman of the Monetary 'and Economic Council (Mr E. D. Wilkinson) said the president of the society (Sir Matthew Oram) on Saturday. It was a pity that warnings contained in reports by the council had not been heeded ea’lier before the economic difficulties predicted by the council became so serious, he said. In particular, the Constitutional Society supported the view that a longer term of Parliament would afford more stability in Government Sir Matthew Oram said. Mr Wilkinson’s views that direct taxation was already too high and that there was scope for more indirect taxation were also applauded by Sir Matthew Oram, who went on to support Mr Wilkinson's demand for a change in emphasis from monetary to fiscal methods of economic control within the country. Sir Matthew Oram said that for too long successive Governments had allowed State expenditure to get out of hand. “It is time to realise that the holiday of lavish spending and borrowing is over and that the Government, as well as the people, must tighten its belt,” he said.

An experimental crop of five acres of sunflowers has been harvested at Hoe-o-Tainui, in the Morrinsville district. The seed will be used for bird feed or will be crushed for the extraction of cooking oil. The yield is expected to be about 18cwt of seed to the acre.