GOVERNMENT'S JOB

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 112, 7 November 1935, Page 23

GOVERNMENT'S JOB

BEING DONE BY BOARDS

-A vigorous indictment of the, Government's administration of the affairs of the country during the last four years was made by Mr. R. Semple, the. Labour candidate for Wellington East^ in .the Realm Hall, Hataitai, last evening. The hall was packed, and the candidate received a most enthusiastic reception. Mr. H. E. Combs presided.

Mr. Semple attacked the wage-re-ducing and retrenching policy which had been adopted by the Government. Instead:of tackling the job itself, the Government had appointed boards and committees in all directions and for all purposes. Other people were ap'poirited todo the job which members of the Government were elected and paid to do. Details of New Zealand's debt position were given by Mr. Semple, who said that the position was becoming insufferable. If the borrowing policy were continued interest payiments would absorb the major* portion of the national income. The Government had done nothing to develop new industries or to create new national I assets. No permanent employment had been created, but positions had been created for supporters of the Government at ridiculously high salaries.

The candidate exhibited graphs, prepared.by Massey College, showing that since 1871 the price of wool in ftew' Zealand had averaged lOd a pound. That supported -his contention, that guaranteed prices ,were/> really a- repayable advance, riot.repayable by the taxpayers of New Zealand but" .by the overseas consumers. Similarly, the.average price of butter over the last thirty years was. ,1s .3d a pound. That showed, that if there had been a guaranteed price of Is 3d over the last thirty years the cost would have been nil in the end. ■ ■

A vote of confidence was carried with one dissentient voice.