LIBERAL SPENDERS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 140, 10 December 1929, Page 13

LIBERAL SPENDERS

REFORM PARTY DEFENDED

THE CIVIL SERVICE "CUTS"

"The only criticism that can be made against the Reform Party is that they spent too much," declared Mr. H. i\ Johnston (Reform), speaking at Koio Koro last night. On land settlement, said Mr. Johnston, the Liberals had spent £16,000,000 in 18 years, whereas the Eeform Government had spent £10,000,000 iv six years, as well as a further £1,000,000 in rural advances. In six years the Liberals had made available £1,500,000 in advances to workers, but over a similar period the Reform Government had advanced £10,000,000. The Reform Government had allowed up to 95 per cent, of the cost of a worker's property to be borrowed from the State Advances Office. It was Mr. Justice Herdman who, when a Reform Minister, had made the Civil Service the particular care of the Eeform Party, and it had been so ever since. The service had been kept free from political influence. Mr. Johnston said that he had come to the conclusion that the salary "cuts" could be restored to the men *in the lower grades of the service, and he had submitted that suggestion to Mr. Coates Mr. Coates had replied that inasmuch as extra money had been raised by taxation the "cuts" should be restored, and, as far as the Eeform Party was concerned, they would be restored. Mr. Johnston referred to other matters on_ the lines of previous speeches. He pointed out that the Eeform Government had liberalised the pension schemes, and had been alive to the needs of the people in respect to to humanitarian legislation On the motion of Mr. G. Jones, Mr. Johnston was accorded a vote of thanks. Mr. H. L. Fabian presided over a very fair attendance.