“DOMINION LIVING BEYOND US MEANS”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 226, 13 December 1927, Page 13

“DOMINION LIVING BEYOND US MEANS”

FARMERS’ PRESIDENT BLAMES EXTRAVAGANCE OF ADMINISTRATION Press Association. ELTHAM, To-day. At a meeting of about 200 townspeople and farmers in the Town Hall last evening, Mr. W. J. Poison, president of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, spoke on problems affecting the town and council under the-follow-ing heads: Extravagance in Government Expenditure; How the Taxpayers’ Money Goes; What is Wrong with New Zealand? The Arbitration Act, and its Effects on Town and Country. The speaker emphasised the point that production was not increasing, and that the burden of taxation was becoming heavier. Farms were being abandoned and unemployment was rife. These were factors which should not be prominent in a young country. “The Dominion is living beyond its means at the rate of £10,000,000 a year,’’ he said, “and borrowing £5,000,000 to keep up appearances.” He quoted statistics showing the extravagance of administration in the Dominion, and blamed not only the Government but local bodies. Mr. Poison spoke at length on the commission on agricultural banks, stating that although pledges were given by the Prime Minister in certain directions, these had not been kept. All they got was “an emasculated long term,” which however had enabled the lending of a large sum to producers already. He believed that it was possible to provide short-term credits for traders as well as for farmers. More markets were wanted even if it were necessary to have preferential tariffs with other countries, preferably Britain, but he thought that the Dominion and Australia should make arrangements with America.