PARLIAMENT IN SESSION

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 8, 4 October 1929, Page 8

PARLIAMENT IN SESSION

TRUSTS AND COMBINES AGAIN

GOVERNMENT’S LAND SETTLEMENT 'I;. POLICY WILL BE CONSIDERED Much talk; but not much business, was the result of yesterday’s; ■ sitting of the House of Representatives-. The afterhbbn 'was devoted to a long debate on trusts and combines and the operations of the Meat. Board, following the introduction, of A Bill on the subject by Mr. 'W. D.. Lysnar. (Independent Reform, Gisborne)’- In the evening the House, on the second reading- of the’ Land Laws Amendment'Bill, settled down to an of the Government’s land - settlement and develop- ■ merit policy. -Willingness'to'accept reasonable 'amendments to ' the : Bill ; ift Committee 'was expressed by the -Minister .of Lands.. (Hb’ri. G. W. ’Forbes},. who said, (.also, that while land would be acquired compulsorily, if ordinary methods of negotiation failed, power in' that regard should be used sparingly, ./ / , ~ k-';The'■Prime . Minister (Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward), Avho . had/’had ap extreniely . heavy morning with deputations, did not attend the (sitting.of .the House, the leadership devolving on the Hoiri. G. W, Forbes.

FROZEN MEAT

GOLD MINERS’ LOSSES

OPERATION OF TRUSTS

NO COMPENSATION POSSIBLE

MORE CONTROL SOUGHT

A lengthy‘ffisscussipii iodk place in.the

House . yesterday-, on. the Mpat. 'Exp'orr/Control Amendment' Bill, iiitroddcect -by- Air. AV. D._ Lysnar (Indepejiflelit..Reform, Gisborne)'; Mr./.Lysnar -explained . that the Bill" had threp-objectives, firstly, to make theMeat Bdard'.djrectTy, representative Of.the. farmeA'?'’mriontily,' ro'do'away with tlje commercial interests’ representative; and, thirdly.' to make a reasonable" and effec-

tive effprt'.tobeontrdp the operations Of ovcrsearp.wnedAreezing work? in New Zeh.- , land. 'Bjysnar quoted what he de- ' official figures-,to show the ‘ difference between, the price received by the. producitr’tind'the" price paid by the con-, sumer for'-New Zealand meat". He .stated that fan vearingiaiid fattening, the stock' the producers got approximately £11,365.-' 150 last year, while the middleman made, a net profit of approximately £20,055,848 for retailing only. Mr. M. J.'Savage (Labour, Auckland West) Said' he' thought Mr. Lysnar was 'on the'right': track.-as'-the big' pfobleth' ahead ■of? N%w Zhalahti 'was to .find -aproperhand' .economic market for its pro-. <! lets. t. ‘ .

Mr. W/J: poison/ (Independent, Stratford) gild" the 'triisls had commenced .a now mbfb'bd/of attMck-Ath'at’.Of peaceful' penetraiiOntr-aiiVP to-day there were , only two independent ,'bpferators left in NdwZealand.' need‘for thb stimulation pfi-.ths'. meat export .trade; but this would possible- if - the Combines were ricT effectively controlled; lie. considered’’tliti‘Meat Board might have done more in the matter. It had winked at the disposal.of.farmers’--works to...oversea;.in-., -tereste. - '-The '-the Bill were hhcesS’ary to.safeguard the Dominoin meat producers; >*■*• >•?. < ■ ’ . * . . Mr. H. R. Jenkins-(United, ‘-Parnell) said that, having pledged himself to.assist the primary producers, he would support, the Bill. . ’I//., Board Defended. Mr. D. Jones- (Reform, Mid-Canter-luury) said ft cost Tea's'-oh the average 1« send meat -to England and'sell it than M did to'-sell -it in .-New .Zealand. . The Meat Board had rid other desire but to protect and further "the I'ntereMV of 'the producers.' The' proposals ■ contained in the'Bill 'would- Wot get the farmer .anji'urtherl : Thie-' board was always prepared to'disten to. representations. Enormous cOhbeSsioiis had -.been granted ' the farmers, >and the method of handling New Zealand meat tp-day whs superior to' that followed when there Whs nd board in' exisrence.' -'AV'e are hearer- the consumer, as far as ; 'the fai-hiefts-are concerned, than we have;been d-tt the history of the trade,” added Mr. Jones. ■ ■-/, ■’ Mr. J. T. Hogan (liidepeudent„Rangitikei) .congratulated Mr. Lysnar On. having ittfroduted-‘the-Bill, arid--suggested-that the 'Government should go into the quesnoh'-as' to''- Whether . the producers. Werl’ rrt’Cii-iritf the highest possible prices, Mr. H< G.Dickie- (Reform, Batea) supported;ihe/Bilh stating-that the i-etailer at Home,was.making tar too big a profit. He was’hot? .in fhvou’r of commercial; in-. ♦ crests.■ bein’? represented-the -Meat Board.-/i/- ■•,' ='‘ ■ '. "v ' -, The t>aderrof the Labour ’Party (Mr. 11. E. -Hollan,di -said he hoped ,an ar, rahgoment- .would -be - made ’whereby the Bill ■ would rdeeive its. secohd reading. Something /should;;-be.-.- dohe (to• .eli&inate the mwltittidec of little men Who sto‘od ; between. • the./primary • producer in New Zeaiand/'Sflidz.tlio consumer' in; Great Britain. r !■■. . bi. i‘; ; : : i ' •v Tlie. Ministerial View.

• The 'Minister bf Lands': (Hon. G./ VQ Forties)?'.- suggested that. ■ Mr. Lysnar riiould'-i’efef liis proposals to the farmers’ orga'nisitttoris. -Preliminary -steps, " , and very nbtreSsaryffines, -too-; had'.to. be taken before 'fitly' drastic alteration. was .made in the method ‘df'liandling the frozen‘..nieat, 'trade o‘f ’this cniintry. ‘ The matter should not be •tampered* with'.lightly. Mr. TL- M.. Riikhworth ('Country Par* ty, -Bair of Islands’) ; The Farmers’-Union has askTd’. fbr ft'for years.' Mr. Forbes .'•>a.id J the- Farmer's’■ Union had udt h'ad'the details of the Bill subr mitted'f O’ita'ihWmbef'S'. Mr. TtushWoi-th'-i I am referring to the. principle'/ 'v : “We d'd tfdt'khOV what the principles of the Bill’ are,” said the Minister. who added that in'■moyi’ng amongst the farmers he Fad'gathered that they held; the belief 'that: the' Meat-Board was doing useful work'on their behalf. Farmers 'complained 'that prices Were not . •-. high-'enough,-'but they would always do that. “I do not think it ;is. a wise- thing for ParliUttrtnti to-poke its -nose-info every ■body's'business;” said Mr. Forbes. “The first thihg to -be done -is to' find out what the farmers.-rthemfielves' want.. To. pass legislation bf- this.kind without' consulting them would be ft" very unwise ‘move.’ I. hare wot seen--tttr Bill——i—” .-

A ilefortn unemher: AVe don’t wantin' see it. - (daughter.) - • Mr. 'Forbes.'said'that if the farmers desired such’ a drastic change in the method of handling their produce surely very urgent representations would have been made to Parliament long ago;

Mr. A. Hamilton (Reform, Wallace), defended the board, which, he Said, had never shirked its responsibility for making a decision. It Had followed an opendoor policy for all farmers to take their meat right to'Smithfield and sell It there’. Mr. W. J. Jordan (Labour, Manukau) said valuable results .would come from cn-bperation.betwoen'.-:tlie producers of different countries.- ' :' . ' -

Mr. H. .MlCampball (Reform, Hawke’s Bhy) said, he was.’, against control. . Ho considered thF'Meat Board had.; made, a mistake ire'tillovi-ing a rush .Of meat to London'When'priceswere falling, The Bill was read a first tinie.

POLICE AMENDMENT. BILL " Replyin'g'-t6”Mf. J? A. Nash (Reform, Palmernton) - ip . the House of Ttepresentafiv *s yesterday, the Minister of Justice (Hon. ?■ M. ’Wilfordj stated that the draft of .the; Police Amendment Bill was ? n i.!**?® At present, but had not yet Jifted. for Cabinet! When it,is lifted I shall be prepared !?“.? .J/ but . not' before 2. M r d ' th ® Minister. Mr. Wb'iatddrtsliHuwhether- the* Bill would be dealt .with this session. •

The. claim' of several Thames gold-miners-for-compensation for losses suffered through the disparity of'prices iu connection, with itbe shipment of gold during the war years cannot- be granted by tjie. Government, according to a statement, made in the House Of Representatives yesterday by the Minister of Lands (Hon. G. W. Forbes) on behalf of the Prime Minister. - ' Mr( Samuel asked the Minister' an urgent question regarding (he petition of Richard Ross and ■ others, of, Thames.. “As this' petition -has now been presented to Parliament on four separate occasions,’ a.nd a .favourable 'recomtriendatiou given each time, will the Prime Minister, in view, of thp fact' that some of the petitioners, are in urgent need of financial assistance, inform the House, as to the iGpveirifiient’s' intentions regarding this petition J”' ■ ' ' ■ Replying, the Minister stated that the , ppsitQin Was that during the war the export .Of gold from New Zealand was -re's tricted at the instance of the Imperial Government. .AH gold produced in the -Dominion-was held on behalf of the Imperial Government, and arrangements were-m.ade for its transmission in atcordance with directions received from the Bank of . England. The Bank of New Zealand rrierely acted as agents for the purchasers bare, on a commercial basis, 'and any profits on the increased price of gold were not secured by the Bank of New. Zealand. The. Imperial Government used .the'.gold to strengthen' the Empire’s .resources and to ease fonegin exchanges during the war. No question of profits as a' result of these national necessities. could, arise. ' .. ' : “I may arid.” said the Minister, '■‘‘that representations were made to the Imperial Goyernmbnt-.;oh;. behalf of. /these peti’'. tibne’rs,' but without, effect, arid I see no indication. that.'their? cl aims; canjreeeile further consideration.” .

LAND ACQUISITION

A PREFERENCE . • ADVOCATED

:.A request that, preference iu thfe acquisition of land should be-given to those men who. might -bo engaged, in the preparation of undeveloped country, when the Government'instituted a big settle--ment scheme was made by Mr. W. E.. Parry (Labblir, Auckland Central) in an urgent question addressed to the Minister of Lands (H'ori.' G. W. Forbes) in the House of Representatives yesterday. The ..Minister- gaYe an assurance that the point would not be overlooked, and 'advised Mr. Parry to mention the matter again during consideration, of the Larid •Laws' Amendment Bill. !

CASH ORDER TRADING ; CONSIDERATION; OF i ■ REPORT . The report on the cash order trading system, recently wade by ' the Minister of Industrie's and Commerce (Hon. J. G., Cobbe) arid the Secretary of the Department (Mr. J. W. Collins), -has been referred to the. Industries and Commerce Committee'for consideration. ' In moving in that direction Iri the ‘House of Representatives yesterday,. Mr. Cobbe sa id, it wag desired .specifically that the committee should consider the recommendation in the report that the cash order system should be controlled by .legislation, and generally report on the form of legislation suggested in (the report-. .

The plea' that the committee' was already. overworked and would ndt be able to deal with all the matters referred 'to it was raised by two members. Mr. I). G. Sullivan (Labour, Aron) and; Mr, A. E. Ansell (Reform, Chalmers). ’ The Minister replied that members had expressed a desire'tbat the report should be considered by the committee. He added; with a smile, that the report was so complete that it would not take more than ten minutes of the committee’s time. ■ ’.The statement was. received witlf iroinjcaPlaiighter fro’m the Opposition benches, ■but the course suggested was accepted without demur.. ■ .

. ‘‘TOO LATE” •MR. McDougall again. ' There, were’ triumphant cries of "Too Am.’r'A’?’ "’ hen Mr. D. McDougall (United,-Mfttaura) endeavoured in ‘the House .of Representatives yesterday to oppose an extension of time to- Mr w p. Lysnar (Independent. Reform. Gisborne), who was speaking on'his favourite subject—the iniquities of the Meat Board. Mr. McDougall - notified some weeks ago that he would oppose extension* to all- except party leaders, and recently carried out his threat so far as to ?W?® ?'•' to the Minister of I üblic Works (Hon. h. A. Ransom), air, J, McCombs (Labour. Lyttelton), moved a. courtesy extension to Mr. Lysnar. Mr. Speaker took the pleasure of the House, and then announced that there appeared .to be no objection. . Mr. McDougall, who had straightened up in his seat at the suggestion of an extension, then voiced hta objection, but Mr. Speaker said he was afraid the honourable member was too late. Mr. McDougall accordingly bad to suffer further in .silence. Sir. McDougall had another opportunity .to protest when, the Leader of the Opposition moved for an extension of the time of the Minister of 'Lands and the Acting-Leader .of the House (Horn' G,. W. Forbes) in his second reading speech oh the'Land Laws Amendment Bill. “Where's the member for Mataura?” ipieried members, when Mr. Speaker was putting the question. ■■ Mr.' McDougall sat silent, and the extension’ was approved. He .then rqje to make a statement,-but -was ruled-out oforder by. Mr. Speaker.