LABOUR ATTACKED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21844, 5 July 1934, Page 13

LABOUR ATTACKED

POSITION NOT FACED * RECESS SPEECHES ANSWERED IMPOSSIBLE COSTS PROPOSED [BV TELEGRAPH SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON', "Wednesday A caustic and vigorous criticism of the Labour Party's action in refusing to enter the Address-in-Reply debate was voiced in the House to-nicht by the Hon. E. A. Ransom, Minister of Lands. "Such action is unprecedented in the history of this Parliament and will give grave concern to the country," said the Minister. "The Leader of the Opposition can find time to go round the country delivering speeches here, there and anywhere, but he cannot find time to come to this House to say what he is saying outside about the Government. It is the weakest position I have ever known the Labour Party to take up. "When they have the privilege of coining here to make their speeches confronted by those who are able to answer their criticism, and then run away, well, to do that is cowardly in the extremo." Guaranteed Price Scheme Mr. Speaker ordered the Minister' to withdraw the remark. Mr. Ransom: I will withdraw it and say they ran away from their job. Continuing, Mr. Hansom said the Labour Party was not prepared to face up to the position. It felt it had a strong hold in the cities and was trying to win support from the country by" promising guaranteed prices to farmers, when if had 110 intention of giving effect to that promise. After Mr. Speaker had intervened, Mr. Ransom said the Labour Party had not the ability to carry it out. Air. Ransom said that to give effect to the guaranteed price scheme on exports only (and the Minister assumed the scheme would also apply to locallyconsumed goods) would cost £9,581,969 annually. Labour proposed to give pensions to all over 60. At 30s a week the annual amount required would be £9,050,000 after deducting the sums now .paid to old-age pensioners. The invalid pension scheme, at the same rate, would cost £1,170,000, the restoration of salary cuts to civil servants, £1,935,000, and the granting of standard rates of pay to relief workers, on the estimate of the late Mr. Holland, £10,000,000. Omitting the cost of increased social services promised by the Labour Party, the total cost to the Dominion X'cr annum of the Labour proposals would be £31,655,000. Issuing Paper Money The money required could be raised in only two ways, either by taxation or by the issue of paper money. He thought the Labour Party favoured the second method of issuing notes, backed only by production. If money Avas to be got from taxation, the per capita contribution would be increased from the present rate of £l2 7s 9d to not less than £3O. Referring to Labour's banking policy, Mr. Ransom recalled that the Opposition had said that people should control the banks and not the banks the people, but as Labour unions controlled the Labour Party, Labour unions would control the bank's if the Opposition ever went on the Treasury benches. Mr. W. Nash (Labour —Hutt): That is unworthy of you. Mr. Ransom asked for a clear exposition of Labour's banking policy. Mr. P. Fraser: Do you mind waiting until another debate?

Mr. Ransom: This is the opportunity. If you don't give an explanation now, there is only one assumption, and that is that now you are confronted with the Government, you prefer to keep quiet.

MR. FORBES' THANKS DEBATE ENDING THIS WEEK " LEVELLING UP ACCOUNT" [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REFORTER] WELLINGTON, Wednesday "I have already thanked Labour members privately for their action in curtailing the debate and 1 will probably do so publicly to-morrow," said the Prime Minister, Mr. Forhes, when interviewed this evening regarding the decision of the Opposition to take no part in the Address-in-Ueply debate. Mr. Forbes said it,was reasonable to set aside a week for the debate, and he estimated that it would be Friday before the end was reached. Labour members had employed the recess in delivering addressee in various parts of the Dominion, and it was only reasonable that Government members should take the opportunity now afforded to repl.v to the Labour Party's criticism. "This is no new thing the Labour Party has done,'' said Mr. Forbes. "Wo have done the same thing ourselves and have had to listen to speech after speech from the Opposition. This will give us an opportunity to level up the account a little." There are no Government bills on the Order Paper so far, although notification of tho introduction of three minor measures was given to-day. However, Mr. Forbes said no difficulty would bo found in providing useful work for the House.

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT PETITION FOR ABOLITION [BY TELECRAFH SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Wcdncfidny A petition praying for the abolition of capital punishment was presented to the House of .Representatives (o-dav by Mr. E. F. Healy (Government —Wairau). There were 280 signatures to the petition. Most of the petitioners are resident in Christchurch, but Hamilton, Wauganui and Taihape arc also represented.