PLEDGE NOT KEPT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19990, 15 July 1939, Page 16

PLEDGE NOT KEPT

GOVERNMENT CHARGED BORROWING IN LONDON MILITARY TRAINING VOLUNTEERINGi UP.HELI) (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Accusing the .Government that it had failed to carry out its promise that it would no: borrow in London. Mr. D. C. Kidd (Nat., Waitaki), making his maiden speech in the

House of Representatives yesterday in the couse of the Address-in-Reply debate, said that the Government, coming in on a wave of prosperity, had used up all the reserves of the responsible departments of State.

Finding that the money had run out, it had turned again to the orthodox finance methods by sending the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, to London to negotiate a loan. He agreed that most of the returned soldiers on both sides of the House would .approve of the suggestion that detente should not oe a party ' matter and rather that a!) members should co-operate in fur- ■ ihering the defences of this country. He, however, wouid support the introduction of universal service in New Zealand.

Mr. T. H. McCombs (Lab., Lyttelton) suggested that those who advocated conscription were obstructing the defence of the Dominion. TinGovernment had decided that New Zealand should be defended by tht voluntary sysi em, but Nationalists and the .Defence League were declai ing that the voluntary system was a failure and that the territorial system was .a farce. He knew it was much

superior to compulsory military training which, as it had worked in New Zealand, was ineffective. There was no real enthusiasm and parades were ‘oo infrequent. He suggested that the Minister of Railways, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, should encourage volunteering by granting a free railway pass for a fortnight annually to everv efficient volunteer.

Mr. W. J. Poison (Nat., Stratford) advocated a free exchange rate which, he contended, would increase the price of farm products substantially and would not affect cur importing trade The house 'rose at 5.30 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday.