A STRAIGHT TALK.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 11 August 1928, Page 4

A STRAIGHT TALK.

TO AIFN OF BUSINESS

PROBLEMS OF FINANCE.

The Prime Minister of Australia, who usually maintains towards his audience at such affairs an attitude of i smiling detachment, aesenoed to memoer.si of the Sydney Chamber of Commerce 'leoently, in words that madie them quite fidgetty, their essential and pioioand ignorance upon the things which burden a statesman in Australia. • ••phere isn’t one of you who wouldn’t talk Government economy to everybody yon met in the istreet or the elute But .’et me assure you that not one of you has the foggiest notion of what our finances mean,” said. Mir. Bruce. “In fact, there isn’t one of you who would be ready to sit at a table with me and defend! your notion of economy. Search your conscience and admit that you know nothing about it. if you do that, honestly, then, go away and find out what the Government is doing, and become -an _intelligent audience, instead of remaining! a talkative but hopelessly misinformed one.

“If you want a better understanding in industry,” Mr Bruce -said: later, “it is necessary for the employer to face the task of discovering what problems irritate and torture the workers. Having discovered that, you must formulate a policy to destroy the poisono u,s atmosphere of suspicion.. “Everybody in the room would attack the Government’s borrowing and its spending of loan money. But you know nothing,about the business, nothing at all. I’m sure that there isn’t one of you. apart from Mr Stevens (the Assistant State Treasurer), who could aa.v at this moment upon what the Commonwealth Government is i .pend inn- its loan money tins year. Let me tell von that if we are going to achieve the -prosperity of which, this country is capable we must spend money. “I’ll give you an examp'e of what I mean when I -say that you often talk of affairs without considering them. A committee —an honorary committee—. recommended recently the construction of a. railway to connect the western nart of New South Wales with Queensland. Now that railway will reap more than its cost by a saving of nortional wealth every time the country suffers a- big- drought. But I’m satisfied that everyone of you would be prepa,red to make definite statements about that .line. For goodness sake know what you are talking about. 5 ’ Mr Bruee- said h? had always inoticed in England that only a few people understood what great developments were possible in Australia. “They liaven’ta conception of the possibilities ■of thaka country,” he said, “and I’m in a thoroughly insulting mood to-night; I’ll finish* the business properly by saying ‘Neither have you!’” The speech, which was described! as one of the best Mr Bruce hais delivered ■inside or outside the House, made at profound impression.