AGRICULTURE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 267, 10 November 1934, Page 9

AGRICULTURE.

UNDER CONTROL. COMMISSION OF FOUR. LABOUR PARTY'S OBJECTION. "THE FARMER GETS NOTHING" (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Just before midnight last night the Legislative Council agreed to the Agriculture (Emergency Powers) Bill, and the whole of the primary prodncers of New Zealand are now subject to the authority of the Executive Commission of Agriculture, which consists of the Minister of Agriculture and three other members about to be appointed by the Government. The discussion of the bill in the House of Representatives lasted four hours and a half, and centred on two main points— Labour's argument that nothing was being done to give immediate assistance to the dairy farmer, and Mr. C. A. Wilkinson's contention that provisions should be made to ensure that members of the Executive Commission devoted their whole energy to the task and that they should have no outside financial interests.

The Government got its way, excepting that pressure from both sides of the House caused the re-insertion in the bill of a clause which had been dropped, providing, "No member of the commission shall be engaged in any paid employment other than as a member of the commission." This, however, did not go as far as Mr. Wilkinson desired, and he moved an amendment to ensure that no member of the commission should take part in business on his own account, or havo any interest in any business affected by the commission. This was defeated by 35 votes to 27. Mr. A. J. Stallworthy's endeavour to have only one Government nominee on the commission failed by 54 votes to 7. The only other division in the House was at the end of the general discussion on the short title of the bill, when the House affirmed the principles of the measure by 35 votes to 27.

It was a jaded House that at 4.35 p.m. saw the end of the Committee proceedings, and 25 minutes sufficed for the third reading, when the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. M. J. Savage, reiterated his constant declaration that the farmer should be on the same basis as most other people, with a guaranteed income. "The farmer gets nothing out of the bill," declared Mr. Savage. "He might think he is getting something, because we have established the 'Big Three, , with the shadow of a Minister as a chairman." Farmers' Leader Approves. The bill was described by Mr. W. J. Poison as an improvement. He said the mortgagors' relief legislation was saving the dairy farmers from being dispossessed, but he again urged the importance of financial relief, otherwise the industry would die and thousands of men would bo unemployed. The Hon. A. D. McLeod (Government, Wairarapa), referred to the cries outside the House that the bill was "rank Socialism." He was a believer in the capitalistic system, but if Socialism was forced on the country it would come through those who refused to adapt the capitalistic system to modern conditions. The Prime Minister, Mr. Forbes, also countered the Socialism objection by referring to international conditions, which he said demanded that governments make agreements for international trade. There was, he said, no intention to take over any industry or operate what might be termed Socialistic measures.

More Legislation Next Year. The Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Macmillan, reminded the House that the dairy industry itself had demanded reorganisation. "It had been down on its bended knees to ask that something be done." The financial relief required was contained in other measures, and a particularly big one would be brought down next year. The bill was then passed without division.