THE NATIONAL FINANCES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21409, 10 August 1931, Page 8

THE NATIONAL FINANCES

BALANCING THE BUDGET MAINTAINING DOMINION’S REPUTATION. {Special to Daily Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, August 9. "I have sope trepidation in coming to speak to you after the Budget which I recently delivered,” said the Prime Minister (Mr 6. W. Forbes) at the opening of the Winter Show on Saturday evening. ' . “When I claim that it is an historical Budget I really hope that it will prove so,” Mr Forbes continued, “especially so far as the State deficit is concerned. When we realise the possibility of it reaching £7,000,000, we know there has never been such a deficit, and we do not want it again. With such a prospect before us we should be wrong if we did not do everything we could to balance the Budget. “ Everyone will agree, I believe, that it is the duty ,of the Dominion to meet its liabilities and to balance its Budget. We have a reputation of doing so in the past, and while I was in England I was struck by the fine opinion in which New Zealand was held. That reputation was built up on the fact that we have always fulfilled our obligations to the letter, and I am confident that the desire of the people is to continue on those lines. “In view of the expected deficit and the fact that the taxpayer’has been asked to find only £1,800,000, I think that it has been made as light as possible. This is not a party question, for it is our duty in every way to make every sacrifice to maintain the reputation of the country. The way to overcome difficulties is to go straight ahead and face them, and this is the shortest and quickest path to prosperity.” ,