FINANCIAL DEBATE.

Wairarapa Age, 16 August 1928, Page 5

FINANCIAL DEBATE.

EXPENDITURE on social SERVICES. SPEECH BY HON. O. J. HAWKEN. (By Telegraph—“ The Age” Special.) WELLINGTON, August 15. & financial debate was continued in the House of Representatives toyV?6ll the P rin <fipal speaker was the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. <->. J. Hawken, who suggested that the most outstanding feature so far had been the careful avoidance by the Opposition of the most important Budget topic, the big expenditure on social services, which had increased out of all proportion to the population. The Government had run itself short of money for other purposes by spending s " ' n “ eh , 011 social services. The added Chßt had eaten up more than the total diffiTu J* wo " ld th '“ s be seen how difficult it would’ be to do anything in the way of invalidity pensions. However the fact that such pensions had not been lost sight of had been noted in the Governor-General’s speech. „ of the Opposition (Mr. H. E. Holland): “But the Government yrar “ Ot prOpOse to dl ° anything this

Mr Hawken said that there would be a g'reet difficulty, in any case, in view of tine way in which social services we « growing in cost. The position might be forced and some of these services made contributory. , -¥ t - W- e - Parry (Auckland Central): Would you suggest contributory old age pensions?** The Minister: “I am not saying it will bo done, but suggesting that any party in power might be forced 1 into that position. We will have to make every effort to reduce taxation, because I am satisfied until wo bring down the rate on higher incomes unemployment will not cease.”