WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 September 1929, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THAT DEFICIT. DIFFERENCES OF OPINION. Correspondent.; WELLINGTON, September .19. The Right lion. J. U. Coates, the leaner oU . cue Oihcial .Opposition, noius last- to Ins -eoiiuentnui tii.it- tnere was nO actual deficit.ip tne putjic -uccouuu. for the last, financial year., “i staleu to my, auuiciiee in, Auckland, lie told inquirers yesterday “that the demit find, been met out of tne accumulated surpluses, and I showed that alter it had been covered from this souiee surpluses, to tne amount ot x2,2u),UIAJ approximately, had been carried lor Ward, ijy that statement I stand.” Apparently Mr , Coates regaius done its and-accumulated surpluses -from a dif-ferent-pome ol; view.than the one general ly adopted. He, it seems, would repair such deficits as might happen along by dipping his hand into any loose cash that might be lying around and so be able -to proclaim surpluses, or .at any rate balanced accounts, until the Treasury ran dry. The' leader of theOpposition dismisses . the subject, by' declaring that' ‘‘Sir Joseph Ward has decided’to go for a big surplus.” And so the taxpayers may'know what is in store for them. A GENTLE REPORT.

Seen to-day Sir Joseph'Ward saiu he could not quite follow the argument of the Leader of the Opposition. It was a fact, of course, 'that - the country was diet bankrupt by the deficit of last year It also was a fact, however, that the expenditure 'for tne year had exceeded the revenue by £577,252. Obviously it was the duty of the present Government to see that this deficit was wiped off and that another did not apc.ir at the close of the current year. A succession of deficits charged up to acicumulaited siurp, wo-jild rot make either for the credit of the Dominion or for the relief of the taxpeyers. The facts of the whole matter were fully set out in the Budget, in the clearest manner possible and there was nothing to be gained by juggling with figures that told their own tale. “As 'for the assertion that I am ‘going’ for a 'big surplus,” Sir Joseph Ward said in conclusion, “I should be glad if my critic will indicatp. a pound that can be spared.” '• -

HERITAGE OF AVAR. The “Evening Post” having appropriately congratulated Sir Joseph Ward and Air W. Doivnie Stewart upon their timely readjustments of some twenty, millions of maturing loan money, reminds tlip., unhappy taxpayers that the operations will. mean an increase' of some £22O,(XX) in. annual interest. Tn his Budget, Sir Joseph Ward indicated that this additional demand upon the resources of the Dominion would entail | j some, reduction in .the gratuitous services’ rendered by the State. “These services,” he said, “have been greatly increased over the last decade, and generally speaking, it would appear that we have reached a stage when it is advisable,, as.far as increasing population and wealth of the Dominion to lighten the relative burden of the taxpayer.” All this helps one to understand the difficulties besetting the Prime Minister, and to appreciate Air Coates’s observation the other day to the effect that this is a good time to be out of office. The heritages of the war are pressing heavily upon the whole community.

THE WHEAT PROBLEM. The Select Committee of the House of Representatives set up to consider the wheat problem still is pursuin'? its somewhat tedious way without attracting much attention from the public The appearance of Mr W. D. Hunt as a witness, however, considerably livened up the proceedings on Tuesday. 'This high authority would remove all duties on stock foods entering the country and would include in these foods wheat and wheat offal for consumption by stock. It would not be necessary, he said, to interfere in any way with duties on wheat or other grains used for human consumption. Replying to questions put to him by. the Hon. j. G. Cobbe, the Minister of Industries and Commerce Mr Hunt said he. jvas strongly opposed to any subsidy benig paid to the flour millers and would welcome free trade within the Empire as the finest thing that' could happen to the Nation. Needless to say Mr Hunt’s views on the subject did not meet with the general approval of the members of the Committee but their expression materially livened up the proceedings and should have suggested a new line of thought to an assembly which probably needed inspiration.