BUDGET DEBATE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11761, 7 October 1932, Page 5

BUDGET DEBATE

OPPOSITION DEPUTY-LEADER-u. IN BITTER MOOD. ATTACK ON PRESS. AND CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE. CRITICISAt RESENTED “ILL-ADVISED .‘LEGISLATIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE ACTS-” SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO LABOR. (Press Association.) ■ WELLINGTON. Oet; 0-' When the House of Representatives .resumed at, 7.30, the debate on flic Financial Statement was initiated by tlie Deputy-Leader of the Opposition; Air. Savage, who stated that the sustained Press and Chamber <>l‘ Commerce campaign, backed by U ,< - Royal Commission’s report to destroy the prestige and growth of the Parliamentary system would be obvie.ffi (o everyone. He hold that all members of Parliament, irrespective -of party, and despite the intense oppos lUon of a large section of members 0 f the House, were openly accused of neglect, incompetence, and even personal advantage, nfc Hio expense of the economic administration of puli 4 lie affairs. Ho contended that the legislative and administrative acts ( l tho present and past Governments had weakened its powers, and responsibilities to irresponsible boards and commissions, some members of Hu'ch bad the impertinence to place themselves mi pedestals, while vilifying and misrepresenting the elected representatives of the . people. ’Tor many years.’’ be ’said, “members °n this” side of the House have vtuio the ’limits of their powers in opposition to what they considered to .be ill-advised legislative and administrative acts.' With few exceptions, they were opposed by the very people who to-day are complaining of what i B really their own handiwork. Mr. Savage went on to deal with the policies of past Governments and stated, that, although the Labor party had drawn attention to past I orruwinys, they were powerless to make a change, owing to newspaper and other propaganda, against them. To-day. however, they were being apportioned a share of the hhinc-, which rightly belonged to them political opponents. AH'- Savage made several references to “ Hansard, where lie had in the past criticised the different Government’s finance policies.’ Continuing, he said AD’. Fumes, in the present Budget, had referral to the fall in the 'prices of primal y products. Personally, he found A difficult to see how anything else could happen among nations winch were competing with each other in (i. vain attempt to increase.trade by reducing thc ; wages of their customers GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONTROL CURRENCY there appeared to he little 1 -om for differences of opinion as to iho part played by currency in the falling or raising of prices, he said. • ufc it seemed to lie quite plain, that high prices could not be established < n low wages, neither could ciirienc' 'n circulation be increased without raising wages. He contended that past experience in the Dominion, should convince ally flunking per.-on that m currency matters Parliament should be master. AY!umi war was declared in .IBM. the banking law., were immediately suspended, and power li<keu by tho Govenioi'-iu-C.'ouncil vo make the necessary amendment-. The nation way in danger then, "r veil told. Was it not in danger nowf The Government nail taken complete control of the monetary sy.-iem during the war. ft could do the same, thing to-morrow to -carry out a |i ,im of national development. It could do it with the. assistance of the associated hanks or in spite oi them- ■ Air. Savage went, on to refer to the British loan conversion, stating that in approximately .seven years Britain would have paid £2060,000.000 in interest, and would still owe. the original amount. •‘WAGE-SMASHING GOVERNMENTS AT OTTAWA.” -The Budget says the imperial Economic, Conference constitutes another milestone. I was nearly going t<, say headstone (Labor laughter). Delegates representing various parts of the British Empire, whose Governments were all engaged in a wagesmashing campaign, met in conference for the purpose of devising means of increasing trade triUi each other. How, they proposed to do that on the reduced purchasing power in tli© various countries concerned lmd not yet been made clear. SUPERANNUATION FUND AND UNEMPLOYMENT. “If it is correct to “ay. said Air, Savage, "that the superannuation funds are £23,000,000 in arrears, what becomes' of the Financial Statements which indicated that huge .surpluses were the lesult ol various State activities. It would appear that the money that should have gone into superannuation funds in .order to make -good the State’s part of a sacral contract with public servants was used to build these surpluses.” Air. Savage was of opinion that the present method of handling unemployment was tlie greatest of all political blunders, and the Unemployment Board was bungling its wav through with a task which rightly belonged to the Public "Works Department and' other State department’s; ; 4> ■ ' ALL PARTIES TO BLAME! HON. J. A. YOUNG ON OVER EXPENDITURE. A WEAKNESS- OF DEMOCRACY. . ' I ' A vyvyV v A The - Minister of Health, the Hon. J. (A. ’Young;; said the' charge of overexpenditure hacl e-Ten been .levelled at the Government; hut she ■ Opposition could not,, Avoid its measure ot responsibility, in that it had ; been

a party -jib borrowing for spending on various public works; which might not have been as profitable as. expected. It was one of the weaknesses of democracy that, when,.appeals were made to electors, no: party was free from -the charge of making 'attractive promises in the hope of getting votes. They could, be proud, however, lie stated, that this Country was free from corrupjtiqn, so far as its politicians and its Public Service was concerned. There were, of course, individual lapses such as had been reported that morning from London in connection., wit}i the High Commissioner’s office, but , there existed an efficient audit system to cheek these occurrences, and detect any lapses. It had heen stated that the Government should not appoint commissioners, but this system of inquiry was acknowledged in all the larger countries wherever the Government wanted a problem to he solved. In connection with external trade, Air. Young said that the country was entirely dependent on the prices -received for our exportable produce. Air, Savage had complained that wc had sent a delegation to Ottawa to foster trade within tho Empire when we were trying at the same time to build up trade with Japan. However, the Government was concerned in every avenue of our frade, and (was (attempting to expand in afi directions possible. Speaking of the inflation of currencies, the Minister said that this system had broken down in the countries which hacl adopted it alter the war. He urged caution in making any new departures, and said that, if any course of breaking away from the established order was proposed, it would have to bo very very carefully considered before action was taken concerning it. CONFIDENCE RETURNING TO INDUSTRY .' a It was a very satisfactory state of affairs, said Mr. Young, to see confidence returning to industry. People hud been holding up their money from distribution lor some years, because they had been afraid of the imposition of heavy taxation. With the assurance of the Prime AlinisLcr that, there will be no increase in taxation this year, there had already been a noticeable loosening of the purse styiugs and more money was going into circulation. “AYith respect to idle Economy report,” said Air. Young, ‘This has been made by certain men called business men..'’ Labor members: “We accent that. ’’ Air. Young: “There is a lot in that report that may be very good, but there are also recommendation? therein which it- would he inadvisable to put into effect.” Labor voices: “Hoar, hour.’’ Air. Young: “However, we can see about that later on. ’ SOCIAL SERVICES MUST BE UPHELD. Continuing, Air. Young said that one of the dangers that beset seliGovenuncnt was that it might crash under the strain ol it own humanity. He approved of businesslike methods* in State offices, but these should not be of a purely inanimate and soulless character. The social services oi the country needed to be upheld, he contended, and they could trust the present Government ;fo do so. He referred to the valuable work done by the Plunket Society, two-thirds-of whose funds were raised by members themselves. He was rather surprised to find that men who could grasp tile business side of affairs so well could fail to grasp the humanitarian aspect of these social services, loi instance, lie quoted the ease ot mothers in maternity hospitals who deserved to he protected against disease and ho could assure them that there would be no slackening oil ol supervision in this direction. X’KW ZEALANDERS SHOULD HAVE HIGH STANDARD OF LIV NIG. Air. Howard (I.) refuted the contention. that ’ New Zealand’s prosperity was bound up with conditions overseas. Fife argued tjiat the Dominion could provide sufficient to feed, clothe and house its people at a high standard. He did not mean to infer that New Zealand should put a. wall round herself and refuse to trade with other countries, but he wished to emphasise that the country could produce not only the necessaries but also the luxuries of life. The debate was adjourned on the motion of Mr. Armstrong and the House rose till this morning.