HOUSEHOLD BUDGET

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 211, 22 September 1937, Page 3

HOUSEHOLD BUDGET

Press Association.)

Labour Promise Quoted in House INCREASES IN PRICES

(By Telegraph—

WELLINGTON, This Day. There was somo amusement among members in the liouse of Representatives last nighfc when Mr S. G. Holland (Opposition, Christchurch North), while chiding the Government with "i'ailing to keep promises," quoted big savhigs which were to have been made by Labour in the average household budget. The figures lie read were lroni an election news-sheet issued in Christchurcb by tho Miuister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon. D. G. Sulivan, Labour members countered his sally with the retort that increased wages had had the intended efi'ect, but the mention of sucli commodities as hlacklead caused a good deal of laughter, Mr Sullivan had promised a rnuch brigliter budget ior the housewile when Labour secured power, Mr Holland said, but the opposite had been the result. The Minister had promised in his election sheet that the housewile would save 5/- in the £1. By reinoving the sales-tax and the excliange rate it was proposed by the Minister to ease the problem for every home. Tea, which cost under the coalition 2/8 a pound, was going to cost 2/- a pound under Labour; cocoa was to be reduced from 2/5 to 1/10. There were to be reduction in such things as tapioca and black-lead. The total cost ou tlie list, at Labour priccs, was lo/ll-J, but on tbc present -priccs those commodities listed during tlie election camIJaign by Mr Sullivan would cost uol-h-liig less than 23/-, Mr Holland said. There was ioud laughter when, while Mr Holland was talking about the effect of this rise on Government workers, the Minister of Labour, tho Hon. H. T. Armstrong, interjected: "But they do not.eat blacklead." In interjections, both tho Minister oi Internal Affairs, the Hon, W. E. Parry, and Mr Sullivan insisted that these increased costs had been more than over-reaehed by increased wages. Mr Holland, however, maintained his argument that there had been -a 40 per cent increase in those commodities Mr Sullivan liad quoted and that tlie increased wages by no means compensated for that increase.