MINISTER OF FINANCE

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXX, Issue 274, 25 November 1935, Page 7

MINISTER OF FINANCE

MR HISLOP’S ESTIMATES ADDRESS IN AUCKLAND (Per Press Association). AUCKLAND, Last Night. Addressing a crowded audience of '3OOO in the Town Hall on Saturday night, and an equally large gathering outside by? means, of amplifiers, the .Mini stier of Finance, Mr Coates, scored an undoubted personal! triumph. Alttouglh admission rt!o the hall was by ticket, the audience included a fairly la’rge number of political opponents, who indulged in a certain amount of heckling. Mr Coates met their remarks with the greatest good humour, and gave the whole gathering the ha|r.ipiesi!| atmosphere that has been found ia>t an Auckland political meeting for a very long while. The Minister was greeted with rousing cheers when he entered the hall, and hid justification of the National Government's policy and record of the past four years, was frequently loudly applauded. At the close a motion of thanks and confidence in the Government’s (programme was carried by a fringe majority. The Mayor, Mr Ernest Davis, presided. Criticism of what he termed the “mock Budget’ s put forward by the leader of the Democrat Party, Mr T. C. A. Hislop, was made by Mr Coates. He said he had indulged in wild guesses. Eiltiher he wa.s a complete' novice in public finance, or he was completefly irresponsibl'e.

Mr Coates also condemned Mr Hislop’is use of the report by the AuditorGeneral on the (public accounts las a basis of charges of mismanagement and deception on the part of the Government.

“I regret to say that, I have no choice but to believe that Air Hislop’s misrejplresenta.tion is calculated and deliberate,” he declared. As had already been stated. Air Hislop proposed to reduce taxation by a total of £5,040,000. The estimated revenue in the Government’s Budget was £25,- ' 742,000, but Alt Hislop budgeted for £24,055,000, in lalddb’ition to the cost of an insurance scheme. On his own showing, therefore, he would have to find. £3,353,000. This, on the present trade figures, he couil'd not possibly get from duties, especially a.s the proposal to reduce exchange gradually would reduce imports and retard business genleral until parity was •reached. II ■ HTHIIIH MANY FORGED TICKETS AUCKLAND, November 23. An issue of forged tickets for the meeting at which the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates will speak tto-night, led to a rush at the headquarters of the National Poliiitfloal Federation this morning. Among the tickets handed in for replacement were a number of forged ones, and holders were closely questioned by detectives. lit appears that forged tickets were distributed widely and In a highly- _ organised way, and; there are indicatnions of considerable confusion at the Jltawifl Hall to-night.