WISDOM DOUBTED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24270, 11 May 1942, Page 7

WISDOM DOUBTED

BROADCASTING DEBATES MORE IMPORTANT THINGS <B.E.) WELLINGTON, Saturday The advisability of broadcasting even •the ordinary business of the House of Representatives in times like the present was questioned by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, when replying to the debate on the Financial Statement in the House to-day. He said that in the present tense atmosphere even the most innocent and earnest interjection seemed petty and out of place when heard over the air and he would have to ask the House to consider whether it would not be better to be off the air altogether. Mr. Fraser said there had been tmanimous recognition of the policy of pursuing our war effort to its maximum and of paying as much as we could for it out of current income. There was no uncertainty regarding these two overwhelmingly important points. In spite of the high level of the debate, he felt, however, that our fate was not being decided here, but in the waters off New Guinea and the Solomons, just as it was influenced in Greece, Crete, Libya and France, and at the present time on the eastern front and around the Arctic circle, where our convoys were doing great work 'getting supplies through to the Russians. The speeches in the debate, said Mr. Fraser, were of a uniformly high character. Some of the contributions had been very good. All the same, with the fate of the country in the balance as at present it was just doubtful if the ordinary business of the House struck the ear of the listener as being of much importance. He would like the House to consider that. "Everything humanly possible has been done to further our war effort," said Mr. Fraser, in referring to the work of the "War Cabinet. are now far better prepared to hurl back an invader than ever before. There is no difference of opinion, either in the House or outside of it. as to our doing everything possible to resist an invader, and after "we have resisted, to attack as Quickly as possible."

COST OF LIVING CONTROL BY SUBSIDIES (S.R.i WELLINGTON. Saturday "Even allowing for the 'defects in subsidies, it is better to have them than to allow the cost of living to rocket up," said the Prime Minister, the kt. Hon. P. Fraser, when replying to the financial debate in the House to-dayi He added that the increase in cost of living in New Zealand was less than In any other country. The Prime Minister said that every effort must be made, and was being made, to keep down the cost of living. In Great Britain, £140,000,000 had been paid in subsidies to keep the cost of living stable. The financial policy of the Government was aimed at endeavouring to stabilise. SAVINGS BANK DEPOSITS DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH tS.E.) , WELLINGTON. Saturday The increase in Post Office Savings Bank deposits was referred to by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. H. T. Armstrongs during the Financial debate in the House. He said that toI day there were 1,000,039 depositors I with £69.500,000 to their credit. This was easily a record for the Dominion, both for the number of depositors and the amount of the deposits. In 1935 there were 118.000 depositors with £49.000.000. Before the present Government came into office, the wealth of the country was monopolised by the very few, said Mr. Armstrong. Now it was more equitably distributed among the whole of the people here than in any other country in the world. NATIONAL GOVERNMENT MR. FRASER'S ATTITUDE (8.B.) WELLINGTON, Saturday . Brief reference to the question of a National Government was made by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, when pressed by Mr. F. W. Doidge (Opposition—Tauranga) for a statement on the question during his reply to the financial debate in the i House to-day. "I will not deviate one hair's breadth from the opinion I have already expressed in regard to a National Government," said Mr. Fraser. "I believe it to be in the interests of the country. If I cannot get all that I want in that direction I wiH try to obtain the maximum."