MR KENT DEFENDS THE BUDGET AS ‘TRULY HONEST'

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 September 1949, Page 7

MR KENT DEFENDS THE BUDGET AS ‘TRULY HONEST'

WELLINGTON. This Day.—Speaking in the House of Representatives last night, Mr J. B. Kent (Government, Westland) said the Budget macle provision for those who required assistance most and therefoi’e became a truly honest and realistic Budget. The Opposition had predicted that the Government would fling the country’s money about to woo the electors and, because that was not done, complained that the Budget was dull. The Budget showed that the continued rise in the standard of living had been due to wise administration. If the National Party desired to cut taxation their object would be to increase their supporters’ profits and interest margins. Mr Kent said it was plain to him that if taxation were reduced there would be a heavy cut in social security and other social activities, in education expenditure, and in every allegedly non-productive activity of the State. Above all there would inevitably be a heavy cut in the number of civil servants. Air Kent added that the latest figures showed that there _ were 4,095,000 unemployed persons in the United States on July 31 —nearly double that of a year ago. The capitalist machine must break down, because of its immoral basis, and it could not of itself improve the lot of people. The Class issue “The only case advanced against the Budget is the case for uncontrolled capitalism,” said Mr Kent. “That again raises the class issue, because the House has been told by Mr W. A. Bodkin (Opposition, Central Otago) that only the really successful people in the House were in the Opposition. Let me remind him that the community which seeks first the kingdom of Mammon in the hope that private profit will act as batman for the general welfare possesses a one-sided class ideology—no less one class and one-sided than he will find in the Communist State he-seeks to condemn!”

By continually laying stress on the money motive, the acquisitive society had committed itself to materialism. That was a practical denial of spiritual interpretation of life. The growth of Communism had been most pronounced .in those countries where the people had been ground beneath the capitalistic heel. Communism had not flourished in Britain since Labour came to power. . “In this country the spectre of its skinny bones creak day by day, but only in the hope that a return of the Nationalists and their capitalistic policy will enable those bones to gather flesh of others who might be oppressed so that, marching alom? together, they can gather up sufficient momentum to turn the whole country into turmoil.” 1 Westland’s Future

Mr Kent urged greater development of the land of Westland, saying that nearly three-quarters oi a million acres was available for settlement that would double- the population and halve the territory of the member for Westland. There was no part of New Zealand with better scope for greater settlement, white

its wealth of untouched timber was the greatest left ip the Dominion. Much had been done since Seddon, before his death, spoke of the resources of . Westland, but the greatest achievements had been in the last 14 years, because until Labour came into office, South Westland, as other parts of New Zealand, had been neglected by Tory Governments. Mr Kent said he was looking forward to a not far distant time when a road to Otago would be put through and the present South Westland main road brought up to the highest standard.