PETROL SUPPLY CONTROL1

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1930, Page 11

PETROL SUPPLY CONTROL 1

IMPORTATION BY RAILWAYS

REFORM CANDIDATE’S PROPOSAL.

INVERCARGILL ELECTION SPEECH.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Invercargill, Last Night. Mr. James Hargest, Reform candidate for Invercargill at the by-election to be held on August 13, addressed a wellattended meeting this evening. Mr. Hargest referred to the record of the Reform Party and said its eclipse in the 192-8 election was due to its refusal to lead the country away in a wild orgy of spending and speculation. Mr. Hargest said that since the United Party took office it had borrowed about £16.000.000, the major portion of it in New Zealand. Instead of bringing cheap money in it had gone to the po°t office, where money was lying at 4 per cent. It had paid per cent, for it over the counter in every post office in New Zealand and it had lent this money out not at 4| per cent. but. at 64 per cent, with 1 per cent, sinking' fund added. .

Referring to taxation, he said that to get money to carry on the country’s affairs the Government purposed go- , ilia in .for an orgy .of taxation. He pointed out that the Customs tax was increased during the last two years by j nearly £1,000.000. Mr. Forbes admitted that this year he was going out to get somewhere about £BOO.OOO additional from Customs, and that from a party which w.as.. to reduce and event-; ually abolish Customs taxation! Taxation was inevitable, and the people would accept it provided they felt that economies were being effected. FEELING'OVER PETROL .TAX. . After referring to the feeling through- ; out the country, against the proposed increase in the petrol tax, the candidate said: “I think the time has come, when the country should take over the handling of supplies of petrol. Nearly everything brought to our doors is brought by means of the consumption of petrol gas, and it is a dreadful reflection on the business ability of the people that we are entirely in the hands of three or four companies who charge us what they will. I have the suggestion to make that the Railway Department import supplies necessary for th Dominion and that a fair tax be imposed against private importers. The Railway Department could sell in bulk to distributors, who in their turn would pu it into the petrol pumps. Instead of exorbitant profit to overseas firms t.ie country would get what profit there is. Instead of half a dozan wagons rushing round supplying petrol of various brands one or two lorries could do the work. It would make no difference to the vendors of the petrol; they get little enough out of it now. Its effect would be undoubtedly to give them greater prosperity, a reasonable profit and greater consumption of petrol. and it would help the Railway Department in finding work for its staff.” Mr.' Hargest put forward two schemes for the assistance of the unemployed. H called one, for the want of a better name, “the farm betterment scheme.” He suggested that a body like the Land Board should undertake the work of supervising the betterment of farms in Southland? If a man in the country wished to carry out, say, draining, bush fellinw or fencing, he should be able to go to a body like the Land Board and put the proposition before it. Say he found the materials, the board could then send its ranger to inspect the work, and if he approved of it authorise the advance of a loan purely for labour. This loan could be made at 5 per cent., repayable over, say; ten years. It would mean that the country was being developed and that the un- | employed 0 would find employment at I standard wages on productive work. It would be essential that .this work be carried out in the “off” season when unemployment was rife. Another scheme he suggested was that in all provinces of New Zealand public works be undertaken with the idea of developing waste lands. Mr. Hargest said he stood for sane government with no special favours to any class of the community, development works 1 of a productive nature to relieve unemployment, current wages on these developmental works, a graduated poll tax and integrity in government. The candidate was accorded a vote of confidence.