STATE DEPARTMENTS
INQUIRY -BY BUSINESS MEN SUGGESTED. . WELLINGTON, Aug. 21. It is possible to economise further in State departmental expenditure ? Ibis question was discussed in the House of Representatives by the Hon W. Downie Stewart during the debate on taxing measures. He suggested that next year the Prime Minister might have to face a ? continued, fqll in prices, and under suclji. circumstances the explanation that he had cut down departmental expenditure sufficiently might not be'accepted. In the speakers’ opinion ,iV was d es ,iVbble to appoint a commission of business men to go through tho records and state whether the Prime Minister was justified in his opinion.
Mr Langstone (Waimarino) : They can’t run their own businesses. Mr Stewart;' contended that an investigation by the presidents of chambers of commerce might help the Prime Minister in his next year’s problem. He realised that the last thing Mr Forbes would like to do would be to increase taxation; Further, men accustomed to handling big businesses would see weak spots in departmental organisation. The Prime Minister needed to take a long view and be prepared to show either that lie could do without any extra taxation or that he coyld effect further economies in expenditure. Possibly outside experts could support him in stating, that he had economised sufficiently. The Dominion was becoming more and more dependent on the extension of Customs revenue, though this was notoriously unstable. The Prime Minister had put up duties, hut if trade suddenly became good he would find.himself with an enormousjsurplus which he did not want. -If the-clouds rolled away and ,-he found himself with that surplus he would 1 be, faced ith a, demand for reductions'- in taxation . which would disorganise the business interests which had arisen on the increased duties. He hoped that the Prime Minister would concentrate on the . reduction of expenditure or of satisfying the public that it could not further be curfailed.
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Hokitika Guardian, 25 August 1930, Page 8
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319STATE DEPARTMENTS Hokitika Guardian, 25 August 1930, Page 8
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