LABOUR LEADER

Hokitika Guardian, 31 May 1930, Page 6

LABOUR LEADER

COALAIENT ON R REAL IE IDS ST AT LAiENT.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

WARM ATE, May 30

Mr 11. It. Holland, Leader of the. Labour Rarlv, in the, course ol his address here to-night, lengthily criticised Mr G. W. Forbes's statement regarding the Dominion financial position. Air Holland stated that Mr Veitch had said that confidence in the stability of the Dominion might be 'shaken if the unemployment figures wore published, but Mr Forbes's statement was one that would certainly weaken confidence in the Dominion's stability.

Mr Holland, however, did not agree that the position was so dismal. Air Forbes, he said, had referred to there having been a drop of £8,100,01)0 in the value of the Dominion’s exports, as compared with those of the previous year, hut lie had not mentioned that both the years 1927-28 and 1928-29 were albnormai years, in which the country’s export values had exceeded the average by between seven and' eight millions. Last year s export- figures, Air Holland pointed out. were just £448,000 less than the average figure tor ten years past, and he (Air Holland) thought that this was not alarming-.

Afr Holland stated that if the value of the wool held hack from sale, (estimated. moderately, as being worth £1,322.000) were added to tho expert figures, then the -position last veai would he nearly one million pounds hotter than the yearly average.

Mr Holland quoted figures to show that money is not short in the Dominion.

Regarding the railways, he said, the comitrv reaped the benefit ot these by the transport- of its produce, cud there was no more reason for dismay over railway losses than on main highways (though if the railways were credited with the values tligt are created by their ' construction and their operation, then the balance shoot would be greatly altered). Afr Holland said the references made to the .■education expenditure were disquieting, and as regarded the references of Afr Forbes to hospital i subsidies,’ there was.: the danger of the responsibility being,.thrown on tho local ratepayers. . There was also a fairly strong hint that the guillotine or pruning knife was going to he applied to public- servants. “If ..ratrenchmont ,is really necessary,” said Air Holland, “the naval and military estimates sll9.pld be cut down.” • . .. -,jv> Afr Forbes need not'be surprised .if his Govenvm cut’s attitude was. taken for . a renunciation of (Sir Joseph Ward's policy and his statement was ho ho regarded as a smpke screen to cover a carefully-planned evacuation of the position that was taken up by tlm United -Party in 1928.; ■