N.S.W.’s EMPTY TREASURY

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 August 1931, Page 5

N.S.W.’s EMPTY TREASURY

NO MONEY FOR SALARIES A CRASH COMING ? [BY CABLE—PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] SYDNEY, August 5. In the New South Wales Assembly, Premier Lang moved that the House disagree with' the Legislative Council’s amendment to the Public Service Salaries Reduction Bill. The motion was carried on a party division by 47 votes to 34. Mr Lang said that it was quite evident that the Legislative Council was assuming unto itself the right to govern the country. The Government had purposely drafted its taxation Bills so that the burdens would fall on the shoulders of those best able to bear them. Indeed the Government was definitely pledged not to attack wages of the lower-paid people in the community, but the Legislative Council had entirely defeated this object—first, by throwing out the Emergency Taxation Bill, and now" by so mutilating the Public Service Salaries Bill that if the Government accepted the amendment, it would bo tantamount to admitting that the standard of living in New South Wales was too high. Mr Bavin said that the Premier’s criticism of the Upper House was unworthy. He continued: “I hold in my hand a circular issued to-day by the Treasury ordering the withholding of public, servants’ salaries for the time being. This emphasises the seriousness of the Government’s position, which is entirely due to the senseless actions of the Premier. He is pursuing a bombastic course arising from the egotism and stubbornness which brought the country to its present condition of degradation. My suggestion is that, if he* cannot govern he had better make way for a Government that can.”

LATER— The Legislative Council, to-night by 28 to 16 decided to insist upon its amendments to the Public Service Salaries Reduction Bill, and is now formulating its reasons. MINISTERS ALREADY PAID SYDNEY, August 5. With an empty Treasury, Mr Larig found it necessary to-day to instruct the heads of the Government departments to withhold salary payments tomorrow from officers of the Public Service, but the wages men on the industrial services are to be paid as usual. ~ . The police will be paid. Ministers an dParliamentarians are not affected by the empty Treasury, as they received their monthly cheques on August 1. LOAN COUNCIL REFUSES AID. (Reed. August 6, 8 a.m.) MELBOURNE, August 5. The Loan Council met. to-day. It was learned that the treasurers are unanimously opposed Io recommending any further money for New South Wales at the present juncture, and the matter will probably be finalised to-morrow.

The delegates furnished reports regarding the measures taken in- various

States to give effect to the rehabilitation plan. THE DARKEST HOUR (Recd. August 6, 11 a.m.). SYDNEY, August 6. The State Government, is faced with the most acute crisis since it assumed office. There will be no Public Service salaries to-day. The Upper Hbuse declined to depart from its attitude towards the Salaries Reduction Bill, the Council insisting on its amendments, on the ground that under the constitution it is entitled to amend any legislation. The Loan Council meeting at Melbourne refused to advance Mr. Lang any money, until he has fully\Complied with the Melbourne Agreement. The Treasurers expressed the view that Mr. Lang must meet his Public Service payments the best he can. “ “DOLE" BREAD DISPUTE. SYDNEY, August 5. The Lang Government is now in hot water for giving a huge bread contract to Shadlers Limited. Shadlers were relying on the master bakers supplying the bread, but the latter are boycotting the scheme, asserting the price is unpayable. The unemployed families are thus finding it difficult to obtain bread with dole coupons.

The bread trade is so dislocated by the dispute, that the master bakers have given notice of dismissal to 500 carters and stores operatives'. The matter has been mentioned in Parliament. Mr Lang declared that people shall have bread, and threatens to take action against the millers for withholding supplies of flour. WOOL CLIP VALUES. SYDNEY, August 5. The Government Statistician’s estimate of the last New South Wales wool clip discloses that the value was less than half that of 1927/28, and five millions below the year 1930. The number of sheep and lambs shorn was 48£ millions, which was the lowest since 1926. The weight of wool was 427 million pounds, the total value of which was £486,000., averaging 8.7 d per lb. The peak year was 1928 when the clip was worth 38 millions, averaging 19Jd a pound. Recent abundant rains have assured a heavy average yield of wool for the coming year.