GOOD AND BAD

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 52, Issue 3750, 1 May 1936, Page 6

GOOD AND BAD

MR BROADFOOT ON GOVERNMENT POLICY.

“Old wine in a new bottle,” was the "description given by Mr W. J. Broadfoot (National, Waitomo) in the House of Representatives, when commenting *on the Employment Promotion Bill, which abolishes the Unemployment Board. At the outset Mr Broadfoot said that the question of public credit was very interesting, and he suggested that the Government should give the people “something to bite” at. Mr Broadfoot said that although the Bill was “old wine in a new bottle,” there was a “dash of bitter” in it, and the “dash of bitter” was the promise of reduced taxation that did not appear to eventuate in the Bill. The Board had been abolished, but its place was to be taken by a Bureau of Industry. The people had been lead to believe that there would be a decrease in taxation, but the Minister had stated that the tax was to remain unchanged. It was just another broken promise. The Minister perpetuated the system under which the Consolidated Fund could be called upon to contribute towards the relief of unemployment. That power was taken by the last Government, but if it was used, it was never abused. Under the Bill there would be direct and undisclosed taxation. So, in reality, Instead of the tax being maintained at the present level, it would be found that taxation for unemployment had risen. Dealing with the collection ot unemployment taxation, Mr Broadfoot said that the Bill provided that all such charges should have priority over every other charge. A person might have lent an employer money in good faith, and yet there was now the position that there was a charge ahead of that security—a security given for money in good faith. That was a principle that should not be introduced in any legislation. It was proposed to create a bureau of industry, to be comprised of the heads of State departments. In his opinion the efficient running of any department of State demanded the full time attention of the head of the department, yet it was proposed to take those officers away from their full time duties. In grappling with the unemployment problem, it was essential that a land settlement policy be proceeded with. It was a- slow method of assimilating men, but there should be an overhaul of the methods. The system should not be limited to those unemployed, but the opportunity should be given to people who have money and experience, and after that to other types of people. There was at present a shortage of labour, and in his own territory camps for developmental work had been set up for months, but there were no men. Action in that connection was very desirable. The •IB scheme was the best, he thought, ever put into operation in the rural districts. In his own territory, in six months, contracts to the tune of £30,000 were let, and it was regrettable that the scheme was abandoned. The Government’s policy wouTd load extra costs on to every industry in the country. There were proposals for shorter hours and extra pay, and tluit inevitably meant higher costs to the farming community.