NO REAL ATTACK ON BUDGET

Taranaki Daily News, 8 September 1934, Page 5

NO REAL ATTACK ON BUDGET

LABOUR PARTY CRITICISED.

MR. SMITH’S SPEECH IN HOUSE. (By Wire—Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Sept 7. Declaring that the Labour Party had not been able to make a real attack on the Budget because it was very satisfactory, Mr. S. G. Smith (Co., New Plymouth), speaking in the House to-night said the Opposition would have to confess that up to the present nothing had been said that was criticism of the Budget. Members of the Labour Party had confined themselves to matters which did not 'come within the scope of that •document. Mr. Smith said he had some sympathy with the Opposition because Mr. Coates despite the difficulties had been able to produce a Budget which contained some hope and some encouragement to the people. Mr. Lee had given a quaint variety of inconsistency in his speech, because he had praised Aulsebrook and Company for increasing wages by 2% per cent., but had roundly condemned l the Government for raising wages and salaries by 5 per cent. That was pure political eyewash.

Mr. Smith asked if Labour members when urging for more money for the unemployed meant standard rates of wages. ,

Mr. H. G. R. Mason: At least the provisions of the original Act. Mr. Smith: Mr. Lee complained of money being spent on guns and nothing being given to the unemployed. That is good soap-box stuff to put over. Mr. Lee: Hear! Hear!

Mr. Smith: Mr. Lee frequently said in his speech, T don’t know Mr. Speaker," and if he had condensed his speech to that he would be quite right. Dealing with the proposal to enrol auxiliary police Mr. Smith said that if Communists were able to create an upheaval at some future date this new police force might be called upon to protect the members of the Labour Party. Members of the Labour Party had professed great anxiety over the machinegun which was missing at Auckland, and he would not be surprised if this was a plank at the next election: “Return us as the Government and we will return the gun.” (Laughter.) ALLEGED KILLING OF RAMS. Mr. Smith next dealt with the charge made by Mr. Semple that old rams had been killed at the Masterton abattoirs for human consumption, and said he had .found that on the Wellington city abattoir committee were Messrs. J. W. Chapman, M.P. (chairman), 'R. McKeen, M.P., and P. Butler, a prominent Labour figure. He had also found that at this abattoir . rams were killed for human consumption. Mr. Semple: Will you . accept my assurance that I knew nothing of it. Mr. Smith: Certainly. Mr. Semple: If I had I would HAveblown the gaff on them. Mr. Smith: Yes. They are described as boners. Mr.. Semple: You are quite entitled- to expose it. Referring to the Labour Party’s plank of guaranteed prices for farmers, Mr. Smitth said members would have an op- « portunity to vote on this issue this session. There had been a division on this issue in 1929, and half a dozen Labour members had voted against it. That was when the sliding scale of wheat duties was under consideration. - , Mr. Clyde Carr: We opposed the method. , • ; Mr. Smith, said that the sliding scale! of duties would come up again this session, and it would be interesting to sea how the Opposition would vote. If the Labour Party wished to put its guaranteed price. policy into effect it would; have to collect through taxation nearly half the income of the people. Mr. Lee: Elementary, my dear Watson?