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Hokitika Guardian, 27 November 1931, Page 4

In the remarks of Mr O’Brien last night he strained very severely at the small things he charged the Government with. The circular from the Health Department was exaggerated to the fullest extent. Yet the document was merely an injunction to spendI thrift Boards to economise as the Government- was doing. It was what the head of a large business might send out to his heads of departments when economies were necessary, but Mr O’Brien would have it that the circular was an injunction to the administration of poor drugs, a curtailment of medical services, and a restricted diet. The answer to that are the conditions now ruling in the hospitals, for that circular was sent out over seven months ago. Then we heard a good deal about the unemployment tax on- wages and the charwoman’s impost. There was the word picture of these women rising at 2 a.m. ana going off to work at the parliamentary buildings, but as Mr Forbes said, better the small tax than no work, and were it not for the savings under the tax several of the women would have had to lie dispensed with. Mr O’Brien rather over-reached himself with his expression of tender feelings for these women at least were able to retain their jobs by the aid of the small tax paid. As regards interest payments Mr O’Brien spoke aa if fixed interest charges still stood. If he could get behihd the scenes lie would find that lenders all over the country had reduced interest to an ex- - tent which would surprise many pe«j pie. They had done it go- that sou-c- ---' thing may be recovered, and to tide J over a difficult period and so avoid a .crash. Interest rates did not rise 1 when times were good, the borrower had the benefit of his fixed . charge, and any sliding scale should work both ways. Often people with small means invested the money in securities or loan advances, and they looked on their investments as sound. Any sudden drop would be ruin to them for they could not get their mom-y out to use it- n-s they wished, but those people now had to nay extra taxation on incomes of interest. Credit is difficult to obtain under most favourable conditions. but if money contracts were liable to he broken in bad times and no advance in good times credit would be more difficult- than ever to obtain, and that would be bad for progress.