RESTRICTIONS AND CONTROL

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24020, 7 August 1943, Page 5

RESTRICTIONS AND CONTROL

MINISTER DEFENDS DEPARTMENT (P.A.) WELLINGTON. August 6. The usual criticism was being lev* elled at the department, which was being blamed for restrictions and shortages for which it was not responsible, said the Minister of Marketing (the Hon. J. G. Barclay), in the House of Representatives to-day, during a debate on the departmental vote. Where there were shortages there must be restrictions, said the Minister, and the department had produced order out of chaos many times in the past. Regarding the cost of handling produce. the Minister instanced the case of honey. The department's profit on this was ,201 dor IJ. per cent. It wanted to ration at least 70 per cent, of the Dominions' honey production; otherwise the cities would not get any honey at all because it would all be sold by producers in districts in which it was produced. . Mr Barclay protested against a whispering campaign, which, he stated, alleged he was. a large shareholder m Combined Distributors in Wellington. He declared he had no personal interest in this concern, which was a combination of distributors, and the snaieholding was in proportion to the amount of business they handled. The Internal Marketing Division had 155 shares, which was the largest holding because the department's turnover wa» largest.