TAKEN TO TASK

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 39, 16 February 1933, Page 9

TAKEN TO TASK

COALITION LEADERS

MR. M cCOMBS EXPRESSIVE

.Some outspoken criticism, of ths Prime Minister (the Right Hon. G. W. Forbes)"and the Minister of Financa (the Right Hon. J. G. Coates) was indulged in by the Labour member for, Lyttelton (Mr. J. McCombsf during the eonrse of his speech on the second i reading of the Sales Tax BiE in thai House of Representatives last night. "On Tuesday night," said Mr. McCombs, "we listened to a most extraordinary speech from the Prime Minister of this qountry. He saiathat the' Labour Party was advocating the spending of more money in order to embarrass, the Government. No such statement was ever made. We know that in a previous Cabinet we had the spectacle Of "a Minister getting up and. speaking N to the wrong Bill from notes prepared by his secretary. I suggest that on this occasion the Prime Minister picked' to the wrong notes." The Prime Minister had claimed that the Government had been forced to adopt the sales tax by sheer necessity, but the Government itself had created the necessity. The necessity had been created within th« last few weeks.

"PIKE PAIR OP DICTATORS."

"Recently," Mr. McCombs continuecL the Minister of Finance gave the hint to the newspapers and the chambers of commerce that they should • stop discussing the exchange question. He has very good reasons for not wanting the question discussed, because the more it is considered the clearer it becomes that the Minister is embarking on another of his reckless policies. This country-is suffering at the present time, and has been .suffering for-a number of years,aa a result of his squandering. He has squandered tens of millions of pounds. But, reckless as he has been in the past, I suppose there has been nomore reckless scheme than the scheme which is now; before the House for consideration. Ha wants to suppress criticism. > But he is not the only one that wants to do that. Mr. David Jones, speaking at a chamber of commerce meeting, said thaftha opinions of the head of the ■'. Treasury; should have been suppressed. What* fine pair of dictators the Minister of Finance and Mr. Jones would make!'* Mr. McCombs went onto refer to th* Prime Minister's suggestion that th» Labour Party, in opposing the Govern, ment's policy, was unpatriotic, . and said that Mr. Forbes had made an even more unwarranted statement. He had! said the Labour Party played the man: instead of the ball, and that/so far ag the Labour Party was concerned "it: wanted to see the country crash. "I don't believe there has ever been suelj; an unfair criticism from any man, even! though he has .played football,", said Mr. McCombs. Mr. F. W. Sehramm (Labour^ Auckland East): It was body-line "bowlings

OBJECTION TO INTERJECTION.

Mr. McCombs also took exception ti an interjection—-"You are ignorant* —made by Mr. Coates when the menwber for Waimarino (Mr. F. Langstone>' was speaking. "That interjection' came very well from the Minister,"said Mr. McCombs. "He has a. w.holai staff of secretaries to write his speeches^. and then ho reads them very badly in the House." i Mr. McCombs said that the working people, the relief workers, the widows* pensioners, the soldier pensioners, and! others would have to pay the tax, .aud-it-would go to help the big farmer. It was estimated that- the-high exchange'would add Is 8d to the .value of .evervf sheep per annum. What would thai: mean to people like the Riddiford family? They owned 120,000 sheep, and theY high exchange would bring an extra; £10,000 a year to,them. Then there! was Mr. Acton Adams, of Kaikoura,who owned 27,327 sheep, the Acland family, Mr. Savill, and others. There' were eight families in New.; Zealand! with 384,000 sheep between them, and they were going to benefit to the extent' of £32,000. - Mr. J. Linklater (Government, Manawatu) *.The sheep farmer doesn't sell all his sheep. Mr. McCombs: No, but if he didn't have a sheep's head he would -under-; stand that an increase of Is 8d a sheep", doesn't mean the selling of the sheep.