"DUKE OF PLAZA TORO"

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 12, 14 July 1939, Page 10

"DUKE OF PLAZA TORO"

TILT AT MR. SAVAGE

"ONCE ! WAS A SOVEREIGN"

The Leader of the Opposition had given some very convincing reasons why the Government had forfeited the confidence of the country, but the Ministers who had spoken in the debate had not answered one of them, said Mr. A. E. Jull (National, Waipawa). when speaking in the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives today. New Zealand was in the unexampled position of having a prosperity-created crisis.

The basis of the economic structure of the country was the export values it received, but when prices began to fall the Government still maintained the increased purchasing power of the people. Not satisfied with what it had done, it had built another ten storeys called Social Security on to the structure, and had affected the foundations. The ship of State had run on to a reef, although the Government had been warned about it for a long time. The usual thing in such cases was for the captain to have his certificate taken away from him.

"A LITTLE PROPHECY."

'"Suppose I indulge in a little prophecy," Mr. Jull continued. "The Government has £2,800,000 worth of gold bought at the old rate. I can visualise the Prime Minister saying: 'Now, boys, we will write the price of this gold up to the present price. That will enable the Reserve Bank to give us another £10,000,000 and away we will go again, another round of the hurdy-gurdy.' The Prime Minister has soverign power. He reminds me of the Duke of Plaza Toro, who said, 'Once I was a sovereign, but now • I haven't half a crown.'" (Opposition laughter.)