RETRENCHMENT BILL PASSED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2385, 28 January 1922, Page 3

RETRENCHMENT BILL PASSED.

A STRENUOUS DEBATE. The Public Expenditure Adjust}ment Bill concluded its passage through Committee, and was passed by the House of Representatives yesterday morning. The opponents of the. Bill proposed many amendments, but none were successful, except that the Prime Minister, at Mr Holland’s recpiest, inserted a proviso safeguarding excess superannuation contributions. Mr Massey, in reply prior to the final division, contended that it was impossible for the Government to n&ke public the Economies Committee’s reports, which were largely confidential. He defended the rebates made to land owners, for which he took the whole responsibility, because the country could not go on beafing the heavy burden of taxation which it was at present bearing. He was satisfied that if the Labour Party got control of this country it would not be for long. He had no particular fault to find with the opposition put up by the Labour Party to the Bill, but he was satisfied that if they got control of the country it would not be long before they reduced it to the present state

of Russia. He could not congratulate the Leader of the Opposition A upon his tactics, which led to the Government being strongly supported in the last division, which greatly strengthened the position of the Government. He was satisfied that the end of retrenchment had not come yet. ' They must go on for the next twelve months, but he was convinced the effect of the Bill would be to reduce the cost of living. If it induced a spirit of economy amongst the people it' would do great good. The cost of living was steadily coming down,' and in twelve months he was convinced it would have fallen far below the three shillings per day which he proposed to take from the bonuses. The Bill represented an unpleasant duty,"but he was satisfied that when the people came to realise the position they would recognise it was not an evil, but a blessing in disguise. On (he motion that the Bill be read the third time a division was . taken, the motion being carried by 40 to 10.