The Wanganui Chronicle SATURDAY, AUGUST l6, 1930. MR. FORBES’ FALSE MOVE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 345, 16 August 1930, Page 8

The Wanganui Chronicle SATURDAY, AUGUST l6, 1930. MR. FORBES’ FALSE MOVE

JVTK FORBES made a false move when he tried to make party IVI politieal capital out of his own inability to fix a date for his departure for England to attend the next Imperial Conference. The public is not to be misled by his charge that his having to caneel his arrangements arc due to the tactics of the Reformers. The Press reports reveal that both Labour and United Party members have been quite as prominent in debate as have the members of the Reform Party. Nobody can object to this because the members would be not fulfilling their duties were they to neglect to criticise the measures of the Government. It is only by an opposition opposing that the soundness of any legislation can be established. Further, results have justified the debate. Mr Forbes has, in consequence of the pressure of either logic or of something else, revised several of his taxing proposals. The petrol tax increase of threepence had been reduced to twopence. Had there been no discussion would this reduction have been made? Possibly it would have, because it is well known that the necessary Labour support was not forthcoming. The sham that these things arc not arranged outside the chamber need not be kept up. It is quite patent that they arc. Indeed the ease with which Mr Barnard’s motion to reduce the tax upon foreign watches from 35 to 30 per cent, was acceded to by the Prime Minister savours not so much of a real concession as a stunt. The Government appear to have deliberately put taxes on so that their unsworn supporters may gain the kudos of having obtained something from the Government. By this means the Government and its casual adherents are able to parade their “results’ before the public. This window-dressing is not to be regarded as timewasting but straight from the shoulder criticism, such as that provided by Mr R. A. Wright on the proposal to tax onions which come to New Zealand in the off-season is presumably to be objected to. The public has a sufficiently keen appreciation of the moves of the politieal game to know that Mr Forbes, in charging the Reform members with deliberate obstruction of the Customs Amendment Bill, is without justification. Mr Forbes.,in attempting to be adroit, should not be unmindful of the rules of fair play. The public has not. yet forgotten the abortive effort made last session to saddle Mr Downie Stewart with having embarrassed the Treasury by agreeing to keep off the loan market for a period. Further attempts at false charges will redound heavily against the politieal party making them.