ELECTION PROMISES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 July 1938, Page 8

ELECTION PROMISES

SOME KEPT & OTHERS NOT CRITICISM IN THE HOUSE EXCHANGE RATE AND TAXATION (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Neglect on the part of Government speakers to explain why several promises made to tire electors had not been kept was criticised by Mr S. G. Holland (Opposition, Christchurch North) during the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives last night. One would have thought, he said, that they would have discussed the planks of the platform on which the Government had been elected, and compared the promises made with its actual performance. Mr Holland said it was true that some of the promises made by the Government had been carried out, 'and it was entitled to credit for that. The fact that promises involving the expenditure of money were fulfilled was due to the higher incomes received by the people as a result of the increased prices obtained for the Dominion’s exportable products. “I invite Government members to explain how they would have raised the money to keep these promises had they had the limited amount of money available to the Administration in charge of the affairs of this country in 1931,” said Mr Holland. “One would have thought that at least someone on the Government benches would have referred to the promises that have not been carried out and given the House an explanation why.” The Government member for MidCanterbury, Mr H. E. Herring, Mr Holland said, had stated that there was nothing in the 12-point policy of the Labour Party about reducing the rate of exchange and the abolition of the sales tax. However, the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon M. J. Savage, had stated in a pre-election address in the Wellington Town Hall that there was

no room for question that the time had come for the removal of the sales tax and a reduction in the exchange. The sales tax had not been reduced. On the contrary, it had produced £6,500,000 during the two and a half years the Government had been in office. The Government had not reduced the exchange rate, nor had it kept the cost of government at the level it was at the time the Government took office. The Prime Minister had also stated that increased taxation was out of the question but despite that statement it had been increased. “I invite Government members to explain where the money is coming from in the event of a recession of overseas prices,” said Mr Holland. “Government members are peculiarly quiet on this important question.”