GOVERNMENT BLAMED

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 230, 24 June 1932, Page 13

GOVERNMENT BLAMED

Mr. Atmore at Pet one ATTACK ON CURRENCY Criticism of the Coalition Government and references to currency formed the burden of an address delivered by Mr. H. Atmore, Independent member for Nelson, in the Labour Hall, Petone, last night. He predicted that within three months Cabinet would have to call Parliament together to increase the wage tax. The Mayor of Petone, Mr. D. McKenzie, presided over an attendance which filled the body of the halL ; The Government which had been elected in New Zealand on December 2 last had borrowed 7* millions in the first half-year of its existence. Mr. Atmore declared. Unemployment made unemployment, and conversely employment increased employment Ostensibly the present Government said they were fighting Socialism and Communism. but they were doing their very best to add to the ranks of these parties.

By cuts in wages and dismissals, the Government was making things worse, and there was nothing for it but increased taxation, continued Mr. Atmore. A few days before the • last elections Mr. Forbes had stated at Christchurch that with a sound and safe Government the old age pensioners could sleep in peace. Not one of the pledges made by the Government prior to the last election had been kept. Currency Board Advocated.

A currency board should be set up with power to control the supply of money to keep business going. The manager of the Bank of New Zealand received a salary of £5OOO a year for looking after the interests of his directors, but it would be better if he looked after the interests of the people of this country. The bulk of the purchasing power of the people throughout the world came from salary and wages, but the Government did not appear to understand this. The gold standard was a miserable fetish, and the present foolish currency and credit system could be removed to-morrow. . There was no reason for optimism while the present Government remained in power, said Mr. Atmore. Money was meant to be the servant of mankind: to-day it was the master, and was coming perilously close to destroying society. The New Zealand Government, on the advice of the bankers. had reduced the suppl” of credit to the people of the Dominion. This country was suffering from pernicious financial anemia, and the Government was bleeding it. “The people of the Dominion,” said Mr. Atmore, "sent members back to Parliament at last election to do their best, but the Government had proved untrue to their trust. The Government which had said ‘Vote for us and we will keep your man in bis job,’ and then sacked men in thousands, was not fit to hold office.” Ottawa Conference. Turning to the Ottawa Conference, the speaker objected to men going there would would not help New Zealand, but who would be stumbling-blocks to the brilliant intellects who would he trying to do their best for the Empire. Mr. Atmore concluded by saying that he and others intended to address the electors from one end of the Dominion to the other’in an effort to put the present Government out of office. If the people would only do their part New Zeal?nd could walk out of the slump to-morrow. A. vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Atmore, on the motion of Mr. J. W. Roy, seconded by Mr. T. Andrews. The chairman, in conveying the vote to the member for Nelson, said that while a mayor should be impartial, he must say that matters were becoming serious. So many people were calling upon him daily iii dire straits that it was clear that something would have to be done, and that speedily, to deal with the unemployment problem.