DEPENDENT ON STATE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20025, 25 August 1939, Page 8

DEPENDENT ON STATE

TWO IN EVERY FIVE POSITION IN DOMINION (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Government members who countered the criticism of Mr. S. G. Holland (Nat., Christchurch North) in the House of Representatives of the heavy-spending policy by inviting him to explain what he would cut down got the unexpected reply that he would reduce the size of Parliament. “That would not save anything." declared Mr. T. H. McCombs (Lab., Lyttelton). “It is thoroughly ridiculous to have a Parliament of 120 men to run a country of this size,” continued Mr. Holland, who, amid laughter, explained that in making this suggestion lie had consulted nobody. Another thing he would do would be to extend the period during which the proposed public works allocation would be spent. As a matter of fact, he considered the Government itself had begun to cut. The increased taxation was a definite cut in wages and the social security benefits were curtailed by a cruel means test. The limit had been reached in taxation and in the number of persons employed by the State, for he was amazed to find that two persons in every five were dependent on the State. ' Counting pensioners and relief workers and those on public works as well as civil servants, and allowing, one dependent for each, there were 642,000 dependent on the State. These people drew £41,500,000 annually. The acting Prime Minister, the Hon. P. R. Fraser: They all have to work for it.