THE BUDGET

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19694, 28 July 1938, Page 11

THE BUDGET

admitted thai they had had a bad run. but hq considered that a good deal of the responsibility for their difficulties rested with themselves. There was plenty of business for all if the industries were properly organised. He was looking forward to the day when the industries would get together and produce some proper form of organisation. Greatest Mistake Mr. C. A. Wilkinson 'hid., Egmont) said that Labour came into power j after four years of depression, when the people, in desperation, were ready to change to any Government, it was one of the gravest mistakes they had ever made, and one that they would never make again. It had been said that 90 per cent, of the working farmers were in favour of the present Government, but he disputed that. In Taranaki, where working farmers predominated, not 10 per cent, would vote for the Government. Continuing, Mr. Wilkinson said the: Labour Government stood charged witli gross intimidation of the workers, who were compelled to join unions and when they paid their union dues they did not know where their money was going to. lie complained of unfairness which, he said, the Government was adopting in the use of broadcasting, and also referred to the Minister's attacks on the Press because it had dared to criticise the Government policy. Crocodile Tears Mr. A. G. Osborne (Lab., Manukau) said the previous speaker had shed crocodile tears over the boys and girls of the country, if they had to face the future under a Labour Government. He would remind the House of the hopeless outlook of the young people under the previous Government during the depression, and added that he could not imagine these young people would be likely to forget their experiences and return,the Opposition to power at the next election. The Leader of the Opposition, said Mi-. Osborne, had said that the Labour Government had treated its promises as scraps of paper, but', lie contended, no Government possessed such a record of achievement as had tine present administration during its period of office. Mr. Osborne said he would like to compare the present Government's record with that of previous administrations, and he was of the opinion that no Government had such a list of broken promises as had the past administration. "Irresponsible Statements" He referred to the utterances made by prominent members of the National Party and criticism of the Government's health and superannuation

proposals. Mr. W. P. Endean had said at Rotorua that New Zealanders were the greatest race of spongers in the world. Extravagant and irresponsible statements had been made inside the House and around the country by the Opposition. "I am afraid it is difficult for me to find words that will adequately express my feelings so far as the action of Mr. Endean is concerned." said Mr. Osborne. Mr. E. P. Meachon (Lab., Wairau) said that in the Budget they saw a plan to help to make an honest endeavour to spread the measure of production as equitably as possible. That was commonsense economics. In 1931 or 1932, the party now the Opposition reduced the excise duty on beer and thereby made a gift to the brewers of ai2,000, while at the same time they reduced the old age pensions. Did they do so, lie asked, so that the brewers could make a contribution to the party funds? The debate was interrupted by the adjournment at 10.30 p.m.