PROPOSAL WELCOMED.

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 45, 21 August 1931, Page 8

PROPOSAL WELCOMED.

The Prime Minister (the Eight Hon. j 6. W. Forbes) said -he Welcomed the' resolution which had been moved. He could not but- agree with the conclusion which had been arrrived at, by the Leader of the Opposition. He had felt for a long time that the, financial position of the country could not be dealt with by a minority Government. First and: foremost there was the question of the farmers' finances,; and as the whole country's welfare'depended on that industry, they must realise that everything hung on the welfare of the primary producer. That was a problem which loomed up very large. There was.no doubt that the farmers' difficulties were, multiplying and that they would go on multiplying, and that the House would have to give serious consideration to that problem. Then there was the question of local body finance. Already local bodies had indicated that they did not know wherei they would be able to find the money; to meet the interest on loansi Naturally they turned for assistance to the Government, and under the circumstances that assistance mighty have been given. The j estimates given in .: the get were those of ; experienced public officers. They \ were not able to say more than anyone else what would happen in! the future, things had been becoming increasingly difficult, and it was difficult to judge what the effect would be in: the future. The Government's Budget was a straightforward ana honest Budget, but there was a serious weakness—the use of the reserves. Whei that happened til was necessary that they should