STATE EXPENDITURE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 211, 20 August 1931, Page 6

STATE EXPENDITURE

ADVOCATES OF ECONOMY. NEED FOR COMMITTEE. Support was given by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce last evening to the report and recommendation of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce upon the Budget, and urging the appointment of an economy com. mittee. The chairman, Mr. J. P. Luke, said he was sure all would agree economies were necessary. After a short review of the Budget figures the Canterbury Chamber suggested that chambers of commerce should concentrate in pressing the Government not to wait until drastic economy was forced upon it by economic pressure, but immediately to make an intelligent survey of tho necessities for drastic total reductions in national expenditure and taxation. As it had become apparent that Parliament itself was unable to do this, the chamber suggested the appointment of an economy committee of trained business men qualified to survey the field and suggest remedies, and given power to put into operation the economies they found necessary. Mr. Stronach Paterson moved that the report and recommendation be supported, and said that considerable revenue could bo derived from the taxation of public body trading. Mr. A. J. Curtis said that £25,000 was placed on the estimates to provide passes on the railways for mem. bers of Parliament and the Legislative Council. The recommendation was adopted.