A COMMON DUTY

Hokitika Guardian, 18 March 1931, Page 5

A COMMON DUTY

SQUARING THINGS UP. (The Associated Chambers of Qom-> mere© of New Zealand). The emergency (session, of Parliament, called to deal with the most pressing economic crisis of a generation in this country, has now begun. The Speech from the Throne, delivered on Wednesday by Lord Bledisloe, expressed the Government’s conviction that “the difficulties .con--1 routing the Dominion cam only be effectually overcome by ~ considerable sacrifices on the part- of all sections of the .community.” ' The truth or this generalisation cannot be questioned, and it becomes a common duty to lace the consequent obligations as promptly amd cheeifully as possible. Cheerfulness is not, of course, essential, nor will it be universal, human nature being what it is; but promptitude there must he. Delay in applying the remedy will only allow the trouble to become worse and necessitate more drastio treatment.

The immediate deficit in the national budget is to be attended to as far as is possible at the moment by the l eduction in the salaries and wages of Government servants, accounting for £'1,500,000; the reduction of other expenditure by £h,-250,000, by .the mdficiation of Posit and Telegraph charges, estimated to produce £900,000 additional and the in'"ivasirig or income amd other taxation to provide *.350,000, These arc the concrete steps «y which it is imped the State balance sheet can bo approximately balanced for the current year. Parliament now has the opportunity or expressing what must theoretically be regarded as the opinion of tfie aountry upon the Government’s proposals, it can only b e hoped that it will recognise that m the present circumstances the country does' not want Parliament. to act on party lines: it wants Parliament to do its utmost to put things right. . Ihe proposals mentioned above are the principal measures by which Mr Forbes hopes to be able to rectify, the States adverse financial position; others me available and will have, no doubt, ample discussion.’ It is .somewhat surl prising that one large potential source of revenue has not .-figured in the list—the,placing of all public body trading activities on a similar,footing to private concerns. To compel these to bear the same taxation : as private orgahv isations would not in any way penalise them; it ..would merely rectify an injustice from which many traders, particularly gas companies, have suffered for years'.

riie most unwelcome policy which a Government can,adopt is one of retrenchment. It says much for the good sense of the people, of New Zealand that they have readily recognised that- no other policy is passible and that in general they are prepared to face the consequences, with no unnecessary comp hunt about injustice. That tin* Government’!* burden nJwilcl have been suddenly and cruelly in-, creased hy the. Hawkes Bay disaster, has increased the desire of the community to help in “putting its house in order.” It has certainly increased the necessity to do so, for it has created an immediate need for money and in a sense has increased the country's deficit.

Mr Forbes may rely upon the cordial support of the business world. It has felt already to an extent which the people generally do not perhaps fully realise, the effect of those conditions which have now brought Parliament to. getlier. It knows what the remedy must he and is prepared to apply it. asking only that the distribution of the load shall be as equitable as possible. And there is now -a glimmer of sunshine ; the London wool sales have given a hint that a trade recovery may not be far away.