USE OF SUBSIDIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 100, 29 April 1936, Page 8

USE OF SUBSIDIES

MR, J. A. LEE'S CHARGE

Some brightness was introduced into the debate by Mr. J. A. Lee, the Undersecretary to the Prime Minister. When he began he was interrupted by Mr. W. J. Poison (National, Stratford), who asked him to give the House another song, saying he was tired of what Mr. Lee was giving them. "The honourable' member is always tired," rejoined Mr. Lee. "If he wants to know what unrelieved weariness is let him make a record and sit down and listen to himself." (Laughter.) The old Government, he continued, had interpreted the legislation to mean that whenever some wealthy concern could get a subsidy, or some wealthy squatter could get a subsidy The Hon. F. Langstone: They got it. Mr. Lee: Yes theygot it all Tight, at the expense of those whom the fund was intended to assist. If we wanted to reach into the pigeon holes and tell the people who got subsidies, what a story we could tell, what a story! The people of New Zealand in their indignation turned the lold Government out and it will wander in the Wilderness for a long time. TRANSFERRING THE LOAD. Mr. Bodkin said that the Opposition had endeavoured to take the load off the shoulders of the poor and put it on to the shoulders of those better able to bear it. ; Mr. W. J. Lyon (Government, Waitemata): What a rotten job you made of it. ■•-'■ .■•'■••■■■ ■'■: Defending, what the past Government ,had done, Mr. Bodkin, said that as revenue. improved it reduced the levy from 30s to"2os, and the tax from Is to lOd and.then-from lOd to Bd. The Government had voted to maintain the tax on the poor in order that no extra burden should be thrown on* the Consolidated Fund. Mr. Bodkin then referred to the Minister of Lands (the Hon. F. Langstone) as'having changed his attitude as a result of the emoluments and re-, spon sibilities of office, and added that he would like to hear something from the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. L. Martin). A newspaper had reported the Minister of Agriculture as saying that one of the most pleasing features of the last election campaign was the very fine understanding the Labour Party had made with the Douglas Credit.. Party. Mr. Lee Martin: Hear, hear. Mr. .Speaker intervened at this stage and' asked Mr. Bodkin to keep to the Bill tinder discussion. .