MEMBER FOR TEMUKA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 52, Issue 205, 11 June 1932, Page 6

MEMBER FOR TEMUKA

INTERVIEWS WITH MINISTERS. MANY SUBJECTS DISCUSSED. THE IMPORTATION OF WHEAT. (Special to the "Guardian.") TIMARU, This Day. Mr T. D. Burnett, M.P. for Temuka, who returned yesterday afternoon from "Wellington, after attending to various matters affecting his electorate, gave an interviewer an outline of his activities there. ; Mr Burnett said he interviewed the Minister of Employment (the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates). The Minister's attention was drawn to an anomaly and hardship inflicted on some working men who had left the ranks of the unemployed to follow up wood-sawing as a winter occupation, and who had constructed trailers on which to carry their small saw-benches. As the trailers were shod with pneumatic tyres, the men had been penalised under the heavy traffic licensing to the extent of £4 7s 6d, which meant that the men were being driven back into the registered ranks of unemployed. Crown Tenants. ; ' Mr Burnett said he had interviewed the Minister of Lands on various matters affecting the interests of Crown tenants and land occupiers generally. He had found the Minister fully seized of the grave difficulties of land occupiers at the present, time, and the Minister had given Mr Burnett his assurance that notwithstanding the recent ruling that the 20 per cent, reduction in rentals as provided in the National Expenditure Adjustment Act did not apply to 'Crown leases, all individual applications for relief would be most generously dealt with. Mr Burnett mentioned that he had found a great deal of hesitancy in the minds of the heads of the Lands Department regarding the bringing in of a flat rate reduction of rental. The member had pointed out to the Minister that, there was a grave danger of bleeding white the very best class of tenant, a man, who, in many cases, was too proud to seek relief. He had arranged with the Minister for a reduction in the valuation fee for group or settlement re-valuation. Although 'the Department considered that the statutory fee of £5 5s was not unreasonable, the Minister, if all applications were made together, thus enabling all inspections to be made at the one time, with a consequent saving of expense, was prepared to authorise the acceptance of a. fee of £ 3s from each settler. The Commissioner of Crown Lands had been advised to that effect. Subsequent to his arrival home, Mr Burnett said, he had received the following telegram from the' Minister: "With reference to your interview with me yesterday, I have now to inform you that I am arranging for a conference in Wellington on Wednesday next of the Southland, Otago, Canterbury and Marlborough Commissioners of Crown Lands, to go fully into the matters affecting Crown tenants, with respect particularly to grazing and pastoral runs." Mr Burnett reiterated that the main. hope of retaining the man on the land, particularly the Crown tenant, was a flat rate manageable rent, and that this was infinitely preferable to •individual postponements and even remissions. Otherwise, he said, the. rot would extend, and it would be a rarity to find a man paying his ront in the near future. Mr Burnett pointed out also that failing such an emergency rental, the incapable farmer, the farmer in dire financial straits, and possibly the extravagant and thriftless farmer, would benefit proportionately greater than the first-class and good farmer. Telephone Charges. Mr Burnett explained that he had interviewed the Postmaster-General (the Hon. A. Hamilton) and Mr G. McNamara (Secretary to the Post and Telegraph Department) on the question of telephone rentals. Both officials seemed seized of the risk of wholesale relinquishments in the near future, not only in the rural districts but also in the towns and cities. They pointed out, however, that as already a big concession in re-introducing the penny post had been made, they had grave doubts as to whether the Department could make any further sacrifice. Mr Burnett said he had suggested a temporary reduction of 10 per cent, in the ensuing half-year's rental now due, but the Hon. Adam Hamilton had pointed out that the suggestion would mean a further sacrifice to the Department of £128,000 per annum. Farmers' Cars. "It has been suggested to me as a rather startling fact,", said Mr Burnett, "that the farmers as a .class have practically all registered their cars again this year. Hey I point out that the arrears -owing to all Government departments have "now reached figures of startling and well-nigh appalling proportions. The question we should all ask ourselves is what sacrifice, we, one and all, can further make, in an endeavour to keep the Government functioning?". Mr Burnett pointed out that the question he would ask fellow-farmers was: "Is it fair and honourable, if a man. cannot meet his obligations, to continue running a pleasure car, not used for purely business purposes? Can the average farmer at the present time continue to run, a motor car, keep a telephone, hold a wireless license," many of them run a motor truck, and generally maintain a farm outfit on similar lines to the prosperous times of five years ago ? ' Another aspect, said Mr Burnett, was that if there was a large percentage of telephone relinquishments, a further batch of State employees would have to be discharged, and manv or the ordinary country exchanges would be brought' down to 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. hours. <# . '. ' "While in 1 Wellington," said .the member for Temuka, "I. was not aware of the move towards the importation of wheat from Australia, but on mv return home this evening, on discovering that the Prime Minister had left Wellington and was on the ferry steamer, I communicated with the Hon A. Hamilton, the member of the Cabinet who knows farm conditions best. 1

pointed out that ini my opinion the letting .in of wheat at the present juncture was a grave injustice to the of South Canterbury; that there were large surplus stocks of wheat still in store ; and that a great deal was even vet to be threshed; also that I had it oh good authority that there are 50,000 sacks of wheat stored in the Ashburton district." Mr Burnett said he had explained also that the mere fact of the public announcement that negotiations were taking place had caused concern locally, and that it was o-oinp; to seriously curtail the sowin" of wheat on which a large number of "struggling farmers had banked of being able to meet this year's obligations! He had strongly impressed on the Minister that there was a misconception about the amount of wheat available and it was in fairness to growers at all events that steps for the importation of wheat in any quantity should be deferred until October or November; that there were available supplies of fowl wheat in South Canterbury alone to meet all the needs of poultry raisers in the North Island; also that it had struck Mr Burnett that the negotiations were brought about by the nervousness of the North Island merchant class Mr Hamilton had promised to brine: ail these representations immediatelv before the proper authorities.