NO RAY OF HOPE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 200, 16 April 1932, Page 5

NO RAY OF HOPE

C'Post" Special Commissinner)

govt's policy LOST ANY POPULARITY WHICH IT MIGHT HAVE HAD MR. ATMORE'S STRICTURES

WELLINGTON, Friday. One pf the most vehement speeches heafd during the second readirig debate' ori the National Expenditure Adjristment Bill was that of Mr. H. Atttiore (Iridependent, Nelson), delivered to-day. . Mr- Atmore expressed the firin convictiori that the Goverhirient wfis -taking the wrong course arid added K*s belief that publlc opiriion was butstripping the Governriiprit. The Government had lost any popularity it might have had, when it made its patriotie appeal for New

Zealand to keep in step with the Motherland. If the 800,000^ electors had known at the time of the election that the Government iritended to touch old age and widows' pensions, and that the man

who was already Mr. Atmore below the bread line was to be reduced still further, they would have given a differerit verdict. There was unparalelled plenty and unparalelled poverty in New Zealand to-day arid poVerty would be intensified because of the wrong course the Government was pursuing. Flnancial bleeding was not ^ the cure for financial perpicious anaemia, There was more of what constituted real wealth in New. Zealand to-day than ever before. The science of production had outstripped the . sci'enee of distribution because distrihution had been held in eheck by a foolish adhererice to an out-of-date gold basis for international excBange. A Blessing "It would be a blessing for New Zealarid," said Mr. Atmore; "if we were never able to go on the London money market again. The time has come to use. our own credit in our own market." Present day evils, he said, were being intensified by the Government's policy of decreasirig the people's purchasing power. The world was suffering froni artificial povel'ty and he suggested the settirig up pf an independent hoard, set up with authority and freedom to inflate iip 1928 price levels. There would be no riior e iriflation if we issued £10,000,000 worth of State riotes Baclied hy the publie weaith of the country thari if we horfowed from the Old Country and had to pay £500,000 a year interest. If we never werit on the Home market again. he reported it would he the first step towards natiorifil self relianCe in this young nation.

"Tender Solicitude" Mr. Atmore went ori to refei* to the Oovernment's "tender solicitude" for the banks,- and instanced a remark of the Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Officers' Association at a deputation that.he had been informed by a member of Cabinet that the Government wfis helpless because it had to do as the banks wished. Castigaiting the Government for its wage reducing policy, Mr. Admore said it was bad economics to starve children because they would hreak down 'early in life. Ministers of the Crown were givirig rio fay of hope to the people. They were like men in a canoe five or six miles above Niagara Falls, convinced they were going over, but without initiative or will to pull for the shore. Declaring he would vote against the measure, Mr. Atmore warned the Government it was no.use arguing above a full stomach that starving men, women and children, must be content with a system of society in which they could not find a nich. The Government shoulfi adopt a policy which would give the people a ray of hope and tell them that above all it would not allow them to starve.