GOVERNMENT CRITICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19882, 28 February 1928, Page 11

GOVERNMENT CRITICS.

QUESTION OF EXPENDITURE

WORKS OF DEVELOPMENT.

"The United and Labour Parties and an odd 'offsider' or two are getting busy and giving their views to the country and Mr. Forbes has been up here giving his opinion—not his policy—about the trend of affairs," said the H&n. 0. J. Hawken, Minister of Agriculture, addrcssa gathering at Papa toe too last evening. Mr. Hawken said the Government had been twitted with spending too much money. "We may be," he said, "but while that is often averred by the Opposition I have never yet seen them put a finger on any one particular item and say that money should not bo expended upon it." To speak in generalities of curbing expenditure was all veiry well, but to particularise was another thing. Was it suggested, for instance, that expenditure on roads, schools and hydro-electric schemes should be restricted? Most people would agree that it was difficult in the extreme to curtail the spending of money on works essential to the progress of the country. For one thing, it was patently better to employ the surplus labour of the country than put on the "dole." Mr. Forbes had spoken of "buying and bursting up - large estates to put more people on the land," but could that, Mr. Hawken asked, be done without money ? Any vigorous laud policy, especially where it affected large estates in these times of high values, cost money, and a lot of it.

Remarking that Mr. Holland was "on the same lay," the Minister said the present Government had graduated land tax so steeply that it was difficult to sec how it could go further in that direction. Confiscation of land was another suggestion advanced, but he was stoutly against that. As for forcing people to sell land, it was a proposal far different in days when there was a dearth of buyers from times when land sold comparatively freely.