CAUSE OF SLUMP

Southland Times, Issue 21649, 10 March 1932, Page 7

CAUSE OF SLUMP

AN ORIGINAL THEORY MR T. MAKITANARA’S ‘VIEWS i “THE WORK OF GOD” (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, March 9. The cause of the slum]) has been a favourite topic with members of Parliament during the course of-the Address-in-Reply debate, and numerous views have been expressed, but quite the most original was advanced in the House of Representatives this afternoon when Mr T. Makititnara announced that "God in His wisdom has stricken the wicked world with His punishment.” Someone on the Government benches promptly asked “What for” and Mr Makitanara replied, "I am coming to that.” Continuing, he said that in America, where once the people of the country had lived up to the high standard set by the Pilgrim Fathers, the best man was the 'quickest with the trigger and the most profitable trade was kidnapping. Such atrocities had not»occurred in New Zealand in the heydey of Maori cannibalism", he declared. “Can the world get through this punishment without Divine aid?” he asked. In Russia they have turned the churches into a den of thieves. (Laughter.) Spain had turned out the church of her forefathers and in England the churches were empty and the same applied to New Zealand. The world was stricken by a pestilence even as Egypt of old was stricken. Egypt had received seven years’ warning, seven years of plenty before seven years of famine, and at the present time there was plenty, but thousands were starving. Members of Parliament should adhere to the spirit of the prayers which opened the sittings of the House -when legislating for the good of the country, but instead of that it was a case of "You pull my eyes out and I’ll pull yours out.” They were tearing at each other’s throats. What was required was wise and cool judgment in those who were sent to the House to carve out the destiny of the country.