WANGANUI NEEDS

Grey River Argus, 13 October 1936, Page 6

WANGANUI NEEDS

government aid With Creating Debt (Per Press Association). WANGANUI, October 12. A public meeting of wide interest, was held to-night and it was attended by nine Members of Parliament, all ot them representing the Government ot the day. . The purpose of the meeting was to stress the major needs of Wanganui city and district, in the hope that legislators would not be without firsthand knowledge of the future possibilities of this part of New Zealand. Judging by the principal speeches, the two major needs of the city are closer settlement and the erection ot increased housing accommodation by the use of interest-free money, cretited bv the Reserve Bank.

'Mr J. Siddells advocated an intense closer settlement scheme, even if it meant State action to acquire the necessary land. Mr P. E. Tingey staunchly supported what ho believed to be an obviou» intention on the Government to create five millions of interest free, credit for housing. He estimated that W anguuni’s share of that sum at £lOO,OOO. The Mayor of Wanganui (Mr W. J. Bogers) presided, and the meeting was arranged by the Wanganui Tourist and Development League. Mr A. S. Richards, M.P. for Boskill. and the Senior Government Whip, replied on behalf of the Labour Party. In answer to Mr Siddells. he said that Wanganui had not suffered any more than other centres, perhaps, in respect to settlement; but the problem of New Zealand was not one of increasing production, but of increasing consumption. To Mr Tingey Mr Richards issued a warning that, unless the production of goods and services absolutely equated the amount of the national dividend which it was proposed to issue, the country would have troubles ten times worse than at present. He said that Mr Tingey aud those supporting the Douglas Credit theory were too impatient. He could assure the meeting that Labour would not use the orthodox broom of the past, but it had to move carefully. It would go 95 per cent, of the way towards the goal of no interest.