SHARP EXCHANGES ON REDUCTION OF WAGES.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 77, 31 March 1931, Page 9

SHARP EXCHANGES ON REDUCTION OF WAGES.

(Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON, March 31. Resign !’*... “Go to the country ! ” shouted Labour members when the Prime Minister was speaking on the Finance Bill to-day. uproar was so serious that the Chairman of Committees threatened to name members. Mr Forbes showed indignation at the attitude of tneincers in looking for votes when the country was in the most serious position imaginable. _ Slobber! ” . . . “Rubbish ! ” interjected Labour members. Mr Forbes’s suggestion that the cost of living drop would prevent hardship was greeted with uproarious laughter, Mr F. Langstone repeating the advice to resign and “get out of it.” . * U those people making demonstrations think that men are going to be deterred from doing their duty to their country, they don’t know the British race,” declared Mr Forbes amid approving “hear hears” from the Reform members and further Labour interjection. Another lively passage was between Mr J. S. Fletcher (Grey Lynn) and the Hon S. G. Smith, Minister of Labour. Mr Fletcher paid that the Prime Minister had no right to talk to members like that, and if the Minister of Labour knew his job there would be no unemployment. “You never helped one scrap,” retorted the Prime Minister, “You went to Canada and left the unemployed to themselves.”