PAST GOVERNMENT DEFENDED
MEASURES IN DEPRESSION
(From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, September 17.
The measures adopted by the previous Government to meet the conditions arising out of the depression were defended by the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes (Nat., Hurunui) during the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives today. In 1931, Mr Forbes said, the then Government was facing a prospective deficit of over £9,000,000 and he' wondered what the present administration would have done in such circumstances.
Mr Forbes said that if he were again faced with a similar situation and had to make a choice between failure to pay pensions and the salaries of public servants and the making of reductions he would adopt the latter course, as was done before. “As a Government we went through the leanest time this country has ever known,” said Mr Forbes. “When we left office we were able to leave sufficient to pay all expenses and leave a surplus. Since then the revenue has been rising. I wonder how this Government will face up to the position when it has to economize. The real test of Government comes in a time of difficulty. I am not saying it will not face up to such a situation, but it has not yet had to do so.
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Bibliographic details
Southland Times, Issue 23308, 18 September 1937, Page 6
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215PAST GOVERNMENT DEFENDED Southland Times, Issue 23308, 18 September 1937, Page 6
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