ECONOMY PROPOSALS

Northern Advocate, 16 April 1932, Page 9

ECONOMY PROPOSALS

URGENCY ACCORDED DEBATE RESUMED. BILL READ A SECOND TIME. (Special to “Northern Advocate.”) WELLINGTON, This Day. Urgency was accorded Hie second reading of Hie National Expenditure Adjustment Dill in the House of Representatives yeste rda y. The dehate was resumed by Mr F. Jones (Labour —Dunedin South), who criticised the wages and pensions reductions. He contended that, if there had tc be reductions in salaries, there should ho no exemptions. Mr \V. A. Dodkin (Government — Centra Otago) urged the Government to consider the alternative economy proposals put forward by Mr Hurgest and others.

Mr A. Harris (Government —Waitemata) described the Government Is policy as wrong and wholly unsound, and intimated that ho would vote against the wages and pensions ''reductions.

Mr W. A. Veitcli (Government—Wanganui) said while ho did not agree with those who advocated doubling the Government’s expenditure to meet the present situation, he considered it a mistake for the Government to devote all its efforts to cutting down expenditure and making a balanced Budget its paramount consideration. It should devote more time to constructive proposals. Mr W. Nash (Labour —Hutt) expressed the opinion that the Government’s economy measure in reducing the spending capacity of the people would leanto disaster. Aii H. Atmorc (Independent—Nelson) said the Government was taking a wrong course. Financial bleeding was not a cure for financial pernicious anaemia. There was more of what constituted real wealth in New Zealand today than ever before. Mr H. G. R. Mason (Labour —Auckland suburbs) said he regarded the Government as primarily representing the moneylenders. Some help had been given to farmers, but no aid was forthcoming to traders, who were a vita! section in the community. Mr .T. A. Nash (Government —Palmerston) said ho did not agree with the proposal that public Servants should submit to a further salary cut. He considered the Government should be receiving money from the oil companies. Mr A. .Samuel (Government —■ Thames): “They could get enough from oil companies to prevent, the pension cut.” Mr R. J. McKeen ton South) said there was no need to go outside New Zealand to borrow money when there was £30,000,000 in frozen credits in the banks. Mr A. E. .Tull (Government —Waipawa) said there was a plethora of boards in New Zealand today, and he advocated reducing the number. With the object of bringing down adminis t.ration expenses, he thought committees of ,the House might be set up to do a lot of the work at present being done by the boards. Air H. G. Dickie (Government— Patea) said if ahy alternative to pension reductions could be found, he i would gladly support it. He suggested a further tax on amusements as an alternative. Air Samuel said there were certain ] features of the Bill, including Civil Service cuts and pension reductions, against which he would vote in committee, He would vote for the secon-l reading, because he approved of parts of the Bill.

Tlcplyiug to tlie debate, the Prime '.Minister, the Ft. Hon. 0. W. Forbes, said lie envied the position of: those who were able to discuss the Bill in their freedom from responsibility, hut he had to state that unless the utmost economy and prudence were exercised it would not be even possible to make the payments which members had criticised. If there were a crash in the national finances there would be no opportunity to pay pensions or civil ser rants' salaries at all.

The bill was road a second time by 46 votes to 25.

The House rose at 5.50 p.m. until Tuesday afternoon.