HASTE DENIED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 113, 14 May 1936, Page 10

HASTE DENIED.

THE MARKETING BILL. PASSAGE THROUGH HOUSE. REPLY TO CRITICISM. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON. Wednesday. A reply to the criticism that the Government hart used rush tactics in putting the Rrimary. Products Marketing Bill through the House of Representatives was «rven by the Leader of the Legislative Council, the Hon. M. Fagan, in moving the second reading of the bill In the council to-day. ill". Fagan said that complaint had been made that the. Government did not have a mandate to'put the bill into law, but he was satisfied yfrom inquiries he had made that guaranteed prices was made a plank by- the Prime Minister when he toured the Dominion before the election. \ It had also been said in some quarters that a disposition had been .shown to hurry the bill through the House, and that the dairy industry had not had sufficient time to'consider-the measure. Because of the importance of the bill, the Government had been particularly anxious that, pll sections of the community, and , particularly the farmers, should have .'a thorough grasp of the contents of the .bill before it> becanie law, and it'was correct to'.say that never before in the history'of the New Zealand Parliament-had of legislation been- so widely, explained as had the bill now before the council. Broadcasting had been availed* of, and on a conservative estimate it was considered that at least half a million people had listened to the broadcast from the House of Representatives. ; ' Farmers living in the backblocks had heard a Parliamentary debate for "the first time in their lives. They had heard the bill explained, and those who had not possessed a wireless "set had ridden miles to listen in.at a neighbour's home. There had been meetings in farm houses where the bill had been discussed. The Hon. R. -Masters (Taranaki): That was on the third reading. Mr. Fagan:: It was on the second reading. Letters of Appreciation. Continuing, Mr. Fagan said that the Minister of Finance had spoken for an hour. The Leader of the Opposition had also spoken for the same timo over the

air, and others had also Many had written to the Prime Mini&t£f expressing appreciation of the broadcasts. Many, also, had stated they had been opponents of the bill before the broadcast, but after hearing the speeches had become supporters of the measure. Mr. Fagan outlined the steps that had been taken hv the Minister of Finance to acquaint the dairy industry of his proposals, and said that at a special conference attended by 60 delegates the Minister had explained the bill. Members of the conference had been given copies of the bill and had attended the House that night and heard the proposals outlined and arguments put forward against them. Next day the Minister had gone back to the dairy conference and answered all questions. He had been thanked by delegates, who had said it was the first time they had ever had the measure explained in such a manner. After the bill had passed all stages in the House of Representatives and after steps had been made to block broadcasting 011 the third reading, arrangements had been made for the case for and against the bill to' be broadcast from 2 YA. studio.