LABOUR ACTION

Inangahua Times, 5 July 1934, Page 2

LABOUR ACTION

GREAT CONCERN. UNPRECEDENTED IN HISTORY. (Per United Press Assn.) WELLINGTON, Last Night. Wien tie Kouss resumed, Hon. Ransom said tie Labour Party’s action was unprecedented in tie history of New Zealand Parliament and ie tiougit it would cause great concern to tie country. Unquestionably it was a most weak position to take up. Tie Leader of tie Opposition iad time to go round tie country making speecies and iad not time to come to tie House to explain the attitude of tie party. He left- tiat to tie Deputy Leader. It was tie weakest move ie had ever known tie Labour Party to

He went on to show what it would cost the country if Labour’s promises were carried out. Tie subsidy on butter would amount to 3,689,000 sterling, cheese 2,776.000 sterling, beef 370.837,and wool 2,745,000. making a total of £9,581,000. tfhese figures applied to exports alone and if a subsidy was paid on exports, surely the producer was ertitled to a subsidy on Home consumption.

Dealing with pensions, Mr. Ransom said if 'tie Labour Party granted a pension of 30/- a week to all over 60 years, it would cost £11,310,000. Tie present Old Age Pensions totalled £1,270,000, making an extra cost of £9,050,000. A paymert to invalids at the same rate would ie £1,170,000 Tie restoration of cuts to tie Civil Service, would absorb 1,935,000 and standard rates of pay to relief work ers would take ten millions. Tbe total cost per annum to the Dominion would be £31,655,000. Mr. Ransom said he thought it could be assured tiat the money would be raised by an issue of paper currency. If taxation was adopted, it would mean that- tie present per capita taxation would be increased from £l2 17s 9d, to not less than 30 sterling. Hon. MacMillan raid, in the mining industry, tie trouble was that there were too many mines. It iad been his intention to introduce a Comprehensive Bill regarding tie mining industry, and ie knew tie members of the Labour Party, wbo were practically miners, would support the Bill.