PAMPHLET RULED OUT

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21867, 21 August 1936, Page 12

PAMPHLET RULED OUT

DISCUSSION STOPPED BY MR SPEAKER MR POLSON , S ATTACK ON GUARANTEED PRICES LFrcm Our Parliamentary Reporter] WELLINGTON, August 20.

An unsuccessful attempt to criticise certain aspects of the Government’s scheme of guaranteed prices for dairy products was made by Mr W. J. Poison (Nat., Stratford) during the debate on the Imprest Supply Bill in the House of Representatives to-day. It appeared that the main .point in Mr Poison’s criticism was to be a refutation by American authorities of . certain passages in a pamphlet on guaranteed prices written before the election campaign by the present Minister for Marketing, the Hon. W. Nash, but reference to the subject was ruled out of order by Mr Speaker, the Hon. W. E. Barnard. Mr Poison said it was now clear that the Government had started on a policy of confiscatory taxation. The Prime Minister had .acted as an anaesthetist who had put the public off to sleep with reassuring statements and the Minister for Finance had acted the part of the operating surgeon with a really sharp knife. “I do not know what the condition of the patient will be if he ever wakes up again,” Mr Poison said.

The Minister for Health, the Hon. P. Fraser: Is this one of the new leaders speaking? “There is one thing about this side of the House,” Mr Poison replied. “All are capable of being leaders. I can understand the Minister being envious when he has no chance of ever leading his own party.” Discussing the guaranteed price scheme, Mr Poison referred to the promise made some months ago by the Minister for Agriculture. • the Hon. W. Lee Martin, that a bonus would be paid by the Government on last'season’s dairy production. The Minister had said that the price had fallen from 127s to 86s and the Government would have to meet the position. The farmers as a whole, Mr Poison continued. had been misled‘by Mr Nash’s pamphlet on guaranteed prices. It contained pages of complete and gross misrepresentation of fact. Doubts about Discussion

Mr Speaker. said he doubted if discussion on the pamphlet could be allowed. ’ «

Mr J. Hod gens (Govt.; Palmerston) (ironically): But this speech has been already prepared, sir. Mr Poison said he had from officials of the American Government a letter disproving the whole of the pages of the pamphlet. Mr Speaker; We have not seen the bill yet, so the hon. gentleman can hardly be ip order. “On this bill,” said Mr Poison, “we are entitled to discuss all aspects affected by supply, and surely this question is affected in that way. A letter from the United States Denartment of Agriculture definitely contradicts the whole of the pages of the statement made by the Minister about guaranteed prices.”

Mr Speaker said that as a pre-elec-tion pamphlet was being discussed he would have to rule it out of order. “Certain statements have been made which reflect on the veracity, if not the honesty, of the Minister for Finance,” said Mr Fraser. “I submit the ruling might be relaxed so that the full statement can be made, and so that the Minister can make a full reply.” Mr Poison said he was quite Prepared to hand the letter to the Minister.

Mr Nash; And I will hand the honourable gentleman an official publication of the American Government giving authority for everything i said. The feeling was that there had been a good deal of misrepresentation about the whole of the Government’s policy, Mr Poison continued. Mr J. M. Keynes, the economist, had referred to the attitude of the Government as representing an “excessive admixture of muddled thinking.” As a result of Labour’s programme the country would suffer and the dairy" farmer would be the first to be sacrificed.