WAGE REDUCTIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26243, 29 August 1946, Page 8

WAGE REDUCTIONS

NATIONAL PARTY INTENTIONS CLAIM BY MR MEACHEN (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, Aug. 28. The fact that the Opposition had stated that it would not cut wages unless this was necessary was sufficient for the issue of a warning to all public servants that they would be the first to get the axe if the'National Party got into power, said Mr E. P. Meachen (Govt., M arlborou g h ) during the financial debate in the House of Representatives to-day. Members of the Opposition, Mr Meachen said, had decried the public servants and said that there were too many of them, meaning by that that it would sack many of them if it had the opportunity. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Holland, was reported to have said that if the National Party obtained office, union funds would be subject to Itrict control and audit. He asked if that would apply to the funds of the British Medical Association. Mr A. G. Osborne (Govt., Onehunga): And the Law Society. Mr C G. E. Harker (Oppn., Waipawa): They are subject to audit now Mr Meachen asked if the Leader of the Opposition was going to take away from the workers the right to do as they wished with the funds of the organisations to which they belonged. Mr Holland would never obtain the sympathy and co-operation of the workers with tactics of that kind. Mr Holland: We will never force a member of the Labour Party to contribute to the funds of the National Party or vice versa. . , Mr C L. Carr (Govt., Timaru): You are doing it to-day. People contribute to the National Party funds under dU Mr''Meachen. said that Opposition members had criticised the B ud g?t b ut had failed to give any alternative or specifications of any plan they would substitute for the policy carried out by the Government.