ELECTION ISSUES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 6, 7 July 1938, Page 6

ELECTION ISSUES

"GIFT" TO FARMERS

Entire* sympathy with the no-confi-dence amendment moved by the Leader of the Opposition was voiced by Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Independent, Eg-

Mont). He said that Mr. Hamilton had. struck the nail -on the head in claiming that the Government, in its. interference ,with private enterprise, was going too far, The issues before the country today were fundamental. On the one hand there was a political party which stood for Socialism. He thought every Government member would agree that that was his party's objective. A Government member: What is your definition? Mr. Wilkinson: There are plenty of definitions, but the definition here is a desire to control and regulate not only every commercial undertaking in the country, but every man and woman as well. At the coming election there will be only two sides—those in favour of Socialism and Government control, and- on the other side-— Mr. A. S. Richards (Government, Roskill): Poverty and misery. (Laughter.) ' Mr. Wilkinson": No. On the other side a party that stands for private enterprise and individual freedom. The Minister of Marketing had made wild guesses ever since the guaranteed price scheme was introduced. At Morrinsville he had stated that there might be a deficit, but instead there was. a surplus. Mr. Nash: I never said anything of the kind. Mr. Wilkinson: It is a statement made in a reputable paper. Mr. Nash: Where do you find a reputable paper? Mr. Wilkinson: The Minister apparently denies every statement that is published. Would the dairy farmers get the £815,000 but for the fact that it was election year? asked Mr. Wilkinson. It was what was called overseas "hot" money, too hot to hold. The«Governmeht handed it out as a gift, but it was the farmers' own money. COSTS AND TURNOVER THE TAXATION BURDEN Mr. A. S. Richards (Government, Roskill) said there had been talk about increased costs, but a 10 per cent, increase in wages meant only an additional 2Jd in the £ • sterling to the. retail trade and only lid in the £ sterling to the manufacturers. Under the present" administration New Zealand business firms were doing a larger business at the lower percentage of cost in proportion to turnover than they had done during the last 35 years. Mr. Wilkinson: Is that why they are complaining? It was partly true that New Zealand was carrying a crushing burden of taxation, Mr. Richards said when referring to the complaints about high taxation, but the v Government could not be blamed for that. During the 31 years between 1912 and 1933 the National Debt had increased by,nearly £100,000,000, and that constituted the btirden. The Leader* of-the Opposition had said that the National Party would reduce taxation, but how was it to be done? Would it repudiate part of that debt, would it reduce defence expenditure, or would it stop public works and leave the backblocks without access? There was certainly an increased return from taxation, Mr. Richards added, but that was due to the increased income available to a large part of the population under the Labour Government's policy. .