WASTE OF TIME

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 23, 27 July 1939, Page 7

WASTE OF TIME

CjQVERNPt/lENT CHARGED

A strong attack on the Government for wasting time during the current session was launched by Mr. S. G. Holland (National, Christchurch North). "It has been a dreadful waste of time in the last five weeks," he claimed. "We have no legislation ready arid nothing prepared. The House was called together to put an Imprest Supply Bill through, and we have just been keeping things going in the meantime, so that it would appear that nothing can happen as far as the Government is concerned while its distinguished Minister of Finance is absent. We have to carry on awaiting his return." Mr. Holland said that the Government won the last election on the cruel hope that it was going to give millions to the people in the way of pensions and other benefits. Mr. Fraser: Did you not say a week j before the election that the Govern- j ment would be ignominiously defeated? Mr. Holland: No. That is not one of my words. The people will get a great shock when they see these fantastic millions disappear as snow before the rising sun. DEPLETION OF RESERVES. Mr. Holland said the Government, although many of its members had condemned borrowing, had used up | the country's reserves a.nd income and i was trying to borrow Lo restore losses. I The Government required money, but | New Zealand's best friend—Londonwas hesitant about lending any more. The people of New Zealand had followed the Government's example and advice, with the result that savings j bank deposits were declining at the ■ rate of £500,000 a month. Three great essentials were necessary in New Zealand. The people needed fortitude to face up to reali- . i ties, determination to do the proper IMng and not merely the popular j thing, and there was need for a com- j plete change in the mental attitude to- i I wards capital and those who had saved ' their money to develop the resources of the country. j i The Government should give up its

habit of constantly scoffing at those who had saved. Members of the Government had told capital to put on its running shoes, and when it did that they complained about the people who had taken their money out of the country. They said these people were the enemies of the country, but the biggest enemies of the country were those who scoffed at the people who had saved money. That scoffing was hampering the Minister of Finance in his negotiations in London. He could imagine how financiers in London would ask Mr. Nash what was meant by the Under-Secretary for Housing when he talked about "financial gangsters."

How was the Government going to reduce expenditure? Mr. Holland asked. How was it going to provide for unemployment? How was it going to get money for Public Works and housing? How was it going to maintain the ever-growing Civil Service? Had the efficiency test been introduced to clear out the Civil Service? The Government had so shaken the public confidence that it was almost impossible to borrow money on freehold land. FARMERS AND MANUFACTURERS. A plea for tolerance by the farmer towards the secondary industries was made by Mr. Holland. There was room for everyone in New Zealand, he maintained, and nothing would be gained by wiping out one section to benefit another. Many of the manufacturing industries were ancillary to the primary industries. Country folk were probably not aware of the manufacturers' problems, and vice versa. . For example, the wool grower was facing j a terrific problem and it was a serious j question whether he could survive without protection.

Producing a pair of trousers, Mr. Holland said that the garment had been made in Christchurch from a length of staple fibre, a substitute for wool, which had been sent to England from Germany and then out to New Zealand. It was less than half the price of wool. In 1922 the output was 20,000,000 pounds weight, in 1935 it was 139,000,000 pounds, and in 1938 it was 934,000,000 pounds. The output for last year was equal to the combined wool clips of Australia. South Africa. South America, and New Zealand. No wool grower in this, country could compete with it without protection.

"The city folk will not question the wisdom of the farmer having protection," said Mr. Holland. "I submit

that if it is right for the farmer to have protection against that sort of thing, it is right for the manufacturers to have equal protection against the cheaply-produced goods from overseas with which they have to compete."