PRIME MINISTER’S APPEAL

Hokitika Guardian, 24 March 1931, Page 6

PRIME MINISTER’S APPEAL

RELUCTANT TO OUT WAGES. “A nation is like an individual in regard to its reputation,” said the Prime Minister, alien moving the second reading of the Finance Gill in the House of Representatives. It an individual were honest and (straightforward, it was an asset, but if he were unreliable when up against hard facts, and disinclined to face them, he was looked on as a man on whom reliance could not be placed.

New Zealand had made sacrifices in the past, the Prime Minister added, and in submitting measures to rehabilitate the country’s finances he felt confident that New Zealanders would make tile necessary sacrifices to maintain their country’s high reputation.

“1 have the utmost sympathy with those who have to face reductions in salary and wages,” said Air Forbes. “In the past I have in this House fought very hard for the retention of their standards. Reductions are a very serious matter to the wage-earner, and ii is only owing to the fact that there is no alternative that we must make reductions to maintain the country in

a solvent condition.” The Prime Minister asked the House what would he the ultimate result it the Government resisted all suggestions that overhead costs must come down. There would come a time when he would be justly accused of having betrayed the country’s confidence in his capacity as Finance Minister. Doubtless tip. proposals would arouse refioiitnien.t among those taking a narrow view, but ho believed most New Zealanders would take the broader view and agree to make sacrifices for the common welfare. “If we are aide to get through .this crisis with only this measure of sacrifice,” added Mr Forbes, “we may consider mil-selves vpi-v luckv indeed