The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, July 13 1941. BUDGET DEBATER

Grey River Argus, 18 July 1941, Page 4

The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, July 13 1941. BUDGET DEBATER

After an ill-camouflaged bid lor votes over the past year or more, the Opposition Leader showed no- great candour last evening in his criticism of the Budget tvhen expressing disappointment at the prospect of this year’s general election. As remarked by the Minister who replied, the suggestion that it would create division is in line with the earlier one of the Opposition Leader that the Government’s policy for a long time has been on Nazi lines. The public might have expected some fault to be found with Hie Budget, but the most conspicuous feature of the criticism was that it left the policy which is exemplified in the Budget almost entirely alone. Instead, longer hours for the workers generally was the principal thing advocated. Wherever the Avar effort has called for it, overtime has been invariably worked. It thus appears that the National Party is chiefly anxious to afford cheaper labour for employers in the hope, no doubt, that such advocacy will itself alone assure their electoral support. The Minister of Industries and Commerce. however, demonstrated last evening that production in the Dominions, despite the absence of soldiers oversea, has steadily been mounting until it exceeds all past records. No instance was specified by Mr. Holland where the 40 hour week has stood in the Avay of the war effort, and this fact indicates strongly it is not the Avar effort, but merely private profit, Avhich he is thinking about. What better right have employers to increased income in Avar time at the Avorkcr’s expense, than the Avorker has to ovcrtiipe? In any case. All*. Holland is Avell aware of the feeling of all but a tiny minority of Avage and salary Avorkcrs regarding overtime Avcrk at less than overtime rates, and his talk of taking ballots, is unadulterated bunkum. He is unlikely to score any support Avith the statement that he Avould get rid of all State houses, be--1 cause there is nothing to stop anybody anxious to inhabit a house of his oavu from obtaining State assistance. The fact that there are queues of Avould be tenants slioavs these rental houses meet a far bigger current demand than any other class of houses. It is .excellent theory that the householder should be the houseoAvner. But is it Nationalist theory that Hie State should build houses in order to sell them? Probably it wants the State to do neither the one thing nor the other, so that nobody need imagine it Avould do half or a tenth as much • to meet housing needs as the Government has done. Air. Holland perhaps expects the public and, in particular, the soldiers will think more of a mere statement In- him as to rehabilitation than of Avhat the Government has been, and guarante.es doing in this connection. Taking into account Avhat the Government has done for the more needy sections of the population up to the

present time, the soldiers will recognise that they have far more to expect from it in employment, training, settlement, pensions, and health conservation than from the quarter which opposes public enterprise in every shape and form.