SLIGHT BREEZE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 172, 23 July 1941, Page 10

SLIGHT BREEZE

IMPORTED POTATOES FIRM'S NAME MENTIONED 'By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Interjections flew across the Chamber and Mr. Speaker had to call for order several times when the name of the firm of C. Morgan Williams and Sons, of Kaiapoi, was mentioned in reference to potatoes bv Mr. Kidd (National, Waitaki) in the House of Hepiesentatives yesterday. After the Minister.of Marketing (Mr. Barclay) had stated that no merchant had received a license to import potatoes. Mi-. Kidd read a circular letter from a Kaiapoi firm soliciting orders for imported pota--100.-'. .Mr. Kidd, who declared that he had former! the opinion that there would hi- no nr-ed to import potatoes from Australia, added that it was a little strange thai he had received a circular from which it appeared that one firm of merchants had received an import license. "No merchant has received any license for the importation of potatoes," retorted the Minister. Mr. Kidd: I am pleased to hear the Minister say that, hut does he know a firm called ('. Morgan Williams and Sons, of Kaiapoi? No License Received Mr. Barclay: Yes, but they have not received any license to import potatoes. Mr. Kidd then read from a document m which it was stated that the price of a line of table potatoes expected to be available for delivery in August or September would depend on the amount of import duty charged.

Mr. Barclay: That does not say they have a license. Mr. Kidd: Well, they are soliciting orders Are they going to smuggle them in? Mr. Poison (National. Stratford): Now we know what is going on Mr. Speaker: Order! Order! A National Member: Perhaps they are going to get here by submarine. None Likely to l>e Granted More was heard on the potato question when the House resumed in the evening. Mr. McCombs (Government, Lyttelton) said that no license for the importation of potatoes had been granted or was likely to be granted. The private opinion of the member for Kaiapoi (Mr. Williams) was that if potatoes had to be imported then the Internal Marketing Department should do that and that no private firm ■should handle importations The Minister of Marketing, Mr. Barclay: That's right. Finally, added Mr. McCombs, the circular quoted did not. say that a license had been granted. Air Kidd should have been fair and been certain of what he had been saying Claiming that he had been misrepresented, Mr. Kidd rose after Mr McCombs had concluded and said that Mr. McCombs had accused him of discussing a private member s business. Mr. McCombs: So you did Mr Kidd: That, is contrary to fact and Mr. McCombs knows it I quoted from a letter written by a turn trading under the name of C Morgan Williams and Sons grain and produce merchants, Kaiapoi who were soliciting orders for potatoes imported from Australia and never mentioned the hon. member's name.