GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES

Patea Mail, Volume XLVI, 29 August 1923, Page 3

GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES

A CHANGE LIKELY The “Daily News” Parliamentary correspondent states that the principle of the Government’s subsidies was the subject of some direct remarks by the Leader of the Legislative Council (Sir Francis Bell), in the course of discussion upon the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill yesterday afternoon. The Hon. M. Cohen referred to the fact that no Government subsidy had been paid upon the benefaction of £3OOO made by Mr Robert Bell as an endowment for scholarships in practical journalism. The stoppage of the payment of subsidies upon such bequests had the effect of drying-up the sources of generosity, and he would like to see a continuance of the payment of subsidies by the Government. “I am not in accord with the idea at all,” replied Sir Francis Bell. It was a most contemptible position for a benefactor to adopt to suggest that the Government should double every benefaction to a public institution. People had got too much into the habit of expecting the Government to contribute equally to the amount given by the benefactor. The Government was alarmed at, the possibility of other finances being upset by acts of generosity being subsidised from the Consolidated Fund.