BUDGET OPPOSED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24085, 2 October 1941, Page 10

BUDGET OPPOSED

AUSTRALIAN LABOUR AMENDMENT MOVED DEBATE ADJOURNED (Reed. 11.40 p.m.) CANBERRA, Oct. 1 The Federal Labour caucus, after a brief discussion last night, decided to move the following amendment to the Budget, on which the debate began in the House of Representatives to-day: "While agreeing that the expenditure requisite for the maximum prosecution of the war should be provided by Parliament, this committee is opposed to the unjust methods prescribed In* the Budget. It declares that they are contrary to true equality of sacrifice and directs that the Budget should be recast to ensure a more equitable distribution of tho national burden." Accepted as Censure The Prime Minister, Mr, Fadden, said he intended to treat the amendment as a motion of censure and ask for an adjournment. There was an atmosphere of tension in the House when the Labour leader, Mr. Curtin, launched the amendment. The chairman of the committee ruled it out of order, after which he accepted as a substitute an amendment for a reduction of the first item in the Budget by one pound. Air. Curtin attacked the Budget severely. He criticised the Government's treatment of soldiers and dependants and also of low wage earners, lie expressed the hope at the outset that, whatever lie intended to say or whatever took place in Parliament this week, should in no way affect the complete unanimity of the Australian people in the prosecution of the war.

Wages ol Soldiers He said that any Budget that gave the soldiers less than the basic wage should not, in principle, be accepted. He advocated increasing the old age pension to 22s 6d a week, and said that Labour would be ready to incur the extra expenditure of the £7,000,000 which these two things would require. He said the Government was playing a low-down game in asking persons with an income of £l5O a year to pay a tax of £4. Mr. Curtin expressed _ objection to compulsory loans, mainly on the ground that they would be the forerunner of another principle—compulsory service overseas. Mr. Fadden secured an adjournment of the debate and the House rose until to-morrow. SHORTAGE OF RICE POSITION IN JAPAN EXODUS FROM .FARMS SINGAPORE, Sept. 24 It was announced in Tokio that a plan has been evolved to increase rice and wheat production in Japan and to build 60.000 farmhouses. This confirms a report received in Singapore that Japan's rice production has fallen off so greatly that the authorities are considering the forced return to farms of factory workers in an attempt to ease the food position. The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture reports that the new rice crop is at least 90 per cent of planned production, but experts point out that the harvest is dependent on the weather during the next two months. Rice being sold at present is mixed with barley. Before the China war, Japan provided almost 98 per cent _of her rice requirements but since 1937 production has declined steadily and consumption has increased. It is authoritatively estimated that the 1940 consumption exceeded production by at least 75,000,000 bushels. Last year, efforts were made to persuade workers to return to farms from factories, but were not successful because factory wages and hours are more attractive. The Government now has power over labour distribution amounting to conscription. Though there is no evidence of an actual shortage of essential foodstuffs, the authorities are strenuously conserving stocks by rationing and pricefixing.

AID FOR CHINA INTERNATIONAL AIR FORCE (Reed. 7.40 p.m.' LONDON, Oct. 1 The Simla correspondent of the Times savs aircraft are now arriving and being assembled in Burma for an international volunteer air force which is being created for the purpose of rendering aid to China. It includes many Americans. Aircraft arc also arriving in Burma for the Chinese air force. The Chinese at Chungking still insist that Changsha has not fallen, but said tlie city's fate might be decided within a few clays. A Japanese parachute detachment landed at Cliuchow yesterday, but the Chinese say all were killed or driven off. The Chinese have recaptured Toishan, in the Kwantung Province, which the Japanese entered a week ago.