LABOUR CRITICISED.
Mr Forbes Assails Policy of Party. REPLY TO MR HOLLAND. The policy of the Labour Party—and it should not be ashamed of it—was to restore! cuts, said the Prime Minister in the Caledonian Hall last night. The Labour Party resisted every economy proposed, and he took it that the party would restore the economies they fought against in Parliament. It would also put the unemployed on union ratees of pay. Along those lines it would be getting tc where £12,000,000 would have to be taken out of the pockets of the taxpayers. Old Age Pensions. “ I am told that if the Government gets in they are going to cut down old age pensions. (A voice: “So they are.”) I would say if the Labour Party, pledged to £12,000,000 expenditure, tried to carry out that programme, not an old man or old woman would get a pension next year. That is what would happen, and I know old age pensioners will prefer the security of a Government being in charge of the finances that will see they are paid. If the Labour Party promised to pay £12,000,0(H) out of the Consolidated Fund no pensions would be paid, and the Labour Party know it. You cannot pay pensions or anything else if you have not got the money.” The leader of the Labour Party had declared that Labour would raise £25,000,000 in the next three years, and also said that bankers had asserted that it could be done. “I was at the meeting of the Inter-Party Committee,*' said Mr Forbes, “and one banker said that for the purpose of developing industry possibly £5.000,000 could be found. The leader of the Labour Party says £25,000,000, but that is the sort of statement he makes to mislead people, and he talks glibly about the millions
that would be found. That is only done for the purpose of giving golden promises with an eye on the ballot box. To make the big loan popular he would reduce interest and take control of the currency and credit of the country. But how can he take control of credit? Would anyone lend money to a Government that would go in for such expenditure? The only other way that the people’s savings can be controlled is by taking possession of them/*
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Bibliographic details
Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 279, 24 November 1931, Page 4
Word Count
385LABOUR CRITICISED. Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 279, 24 November 1931, Page 4
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