“DOING THEIR BEST”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1059, 25 August 1930, Page 16

“DOING THEIR BEST”

MR. JORDAN’S QUIPS Responding to the toast of “Parliament” at the Onehunga Fire Brigade’s annual reunion on Saturday evening, Mr. W. J. Jordan, member for Manukau, treating the subject in lighter vein, painted a somewhat gloomy word picture of Parliamentary influence on the country generally. They had been assured, he said, by the proposer of the toast, Mr. J. C. Sibbin, that members of Parliament were doing their best. “Of course they are all doing their best,” continued the member. “You have only to look at the state of the country today to realise what their best is like.” Dealing with defence, he explained that the Government had suspended compulsory training and the Legislative Council had rejected voluntary drill, so that one system having been cut out and the other washed out, there was little doubt as to where the Empire was drifting. The Government of the country, he continued, apparently could not carry on without more money, so it had imposed additional taxation. Increased income-tax. however, need not worry the man out of a job, and as for himself, the added impost on petrol had no terror because the only use he had for the stuff was in a pipe-lighter. In its endeavour to bolster up the revenue the Government had . decided to cut out or reduce the annual grants made to many useful or philanthropic organisations, and the United Fire Brigades' Association had not been missed. However, he said, its claim had been brought up in the House and if the Minister’s promise to reconsider this particular grant were fulfilled, he had good reason to hope that the amount would be paid .this year as in the past.