QUEENSLAND!
WELL, WHAT ABOUT IT? OUR LABOHITcAXTHDATES' bad • EXAMPLE. (Published ]>v Arrangement for tlio N.Z; Welfare League.) It is a curious fact that tlio Labour Party candidates never tire of running down the country whero they are getting their living and boosting up some other ns a glorious example for us to follow. At present the candidates in Now Zenland aro praising Queensland because it has been governed, or misgoverned, bv the Ryan Red Labour Party for the lost four years. What a pity tlioso Reds iu N.Z. would not go to Queensland, but no hop«! They know when they are better off. One is reminded of 'Bainsfather's <iuip: "If you know of a better hole, go to it." Of course, to these men-Holland, Semple and the rest-New Zealand is n mere hole made by Jlassey Ward and their backing of Plutes. It is true that the cost of living is lush in New Zealand as clsewhero, and the problem of reducing the cost of neeesBities should be grappled i\ith right ftWa y* • . -n i # Last session an improved Board ot Trade Act was nut on the Statute Book and the Board should get to work quicklv Let us look at the example, however, which the Officio! Labour candidates ask us to follow—Queensland! The Ryan Government Work. The Sydney "Bulletin," November 0, compiles' these facts from the Queensland Auditor-General's report.— (1) Ryan's Government kept the loan expenditure up to an average of X2.473.C33 a year. . C) He had three successive deficits amounting to .£834.933 in all-comparo this with our National Governments surplus of JC3.G79.000 for one year. (3) His last year's unforeseen expenditure amounted to XI,010,171). (I) lie suspended payments into tho Sinking Fund for redemption of tlio public debt. . (5) He found his railways paying and turned this.into losses, as follow:—1910. ,?;iQS.24I; 1917. .£737,383; 19)8, ,£1,028.003 (despite increased charges); 1919, .£1.421.328. (0) Ho borrowed money for railways at ;E. r i 13s. Gd. per cent., and earned Ws. 9d. per cent, to pay the interest with. (7) His State .enterprises at June, 1919, in addition to tho loans they started with, had .£534,738 of overdraft. (8) His State butcheries showed a loss. On a turnover of .£550,000 net wiles exceeded purchases by only which could not pay interest on the capital invested. 19) The State trawler caught fish which cost .£2220 to get and realised ,£l3O. (10) The Assistance to Farmers' Fund after four vears' working was £47,550. (II) Tho 'Statu hotel -was in debt, the Ktato farms showed a loss, the State Produce Agency in debt, the fish dealill" business (a'virt from trawling) showed a loss of .£9733. (12) Taxes. In 1915, when Ryans Party took office, the State taxes were .£1 Bs. 2d. per inhabitant, and the State mid its way, with a. little over towards back debts.' In 1916 they were X 2 2s. 9d per head; 1917, .« Gs. 9d.; 1918. .£2 12s. 2d.; arid 1919, .£4 Os. 9d. This article is bas"d from the Queensland Auditor-General's report. ,
Increased Cost of- Living. The Commonwealth Prime Minister, in ft sppecli i» Queensland, said: "The cost of living in Queensland' had increased fil 5 per "cent." The Labour Party there makes it 59.4 per cent. 11l South Austrnlia it is 33 per cent. ' 111 Quensland since tho outbreak 01 the war prices of food supplies have increased 51.8 per cent., and in New Zealand 33.2 per cent. We recognise that it is no consolation to tho people here to tell them others are worse off. We only put the facts about Queensland because the peotile fdiuuld know that by electing men of a Revolutionary Labour Party,"and the labour l'arty declares itself such, we are plunging into reckless finance and wild-cat schemes which must work out as thc.v have done in Queensland bv still further increasing tin; cost cf living and lending tho State towards disaster. The Labour Party's candidate# rav: "Put us in and we will do as Kyan's Labour P:\rtv lias done in Queensland.'' The. people oE New Zealand will bo mad if they shut their eves lo the facts t»iat Queensland to-day is tho heaviest taxed, dearest place to live in, aiuMias more unemployed than any other fetalo in Australasia,
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 52, 25 November 1919, Page 8
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704QUEENSLAND! Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 52, 25 November 1919, Page 8
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