STAPLE FOODS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 241, 8 July 1938, Page 12

STAPLE FOODS

Consumption Greater In Depression

BUTTER AND MUTTON

Statistics showing that the consumption of foodstuffs in New Zealand actu-

ally reached peak levels in the years of the depression were quoted by Mr K. J. Holyoake (Opposition. Motueka) during the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives last night. Labour members were continually talking of poverty amid plenty during tbe years of the slump, said Mr. Holyoake, but it was strange that the consumption of staple foodstuffs hud never been higher than it was over that period. "Many people suffered during the slum)),” Mr. Holyoake said. "1 am not denying that for an Instant. However, 1 do say that the reason was not that people were denied access to the ptoductiou of the Dominion, but that, our surplus production could not be exchanged for the same amount of goods from overseas. .

"All sorts of wild statements are still being made on this point. The member for Grey Lynn said the otlnt night that during the depression we wore np'to our necks in butter but could not afford to put it on our bread. The figures show that the average annual consumption of butter in New Zea hind rose during tbe slump from 351 b. to 401 b. a head and has since remained more or less constant.” Consumption of Mutton. Tbe consumption of ptner foodstulls bad also increased, Mr. Holyoake said. There had been an increase in the consumption of mutton by 51b. a bead and the peak level had been reached between 1932 and 1934. It was interesting to note that during the last two years there bad been a slight decline. It was obvious that plenty of mutton had been eaten during tbe worst years of the slump. .

Mr. J. G- Barclay (Government, Marsden): It was so cheap you couldn’t give it away.

Mr. Holyoake: I am not concerned with that. lam concerned with the .statement that the people were denied access to their production. Mr. W. J. Lyon (Government. Waitemata) : Would you deny that people went hungry? “I know that some of them did,’’ said Mr. Holyoake. “but there was no reason for it. The production of foodstuffs was there and tbe figures show that consumption reached record levels. Tbe consumption of flour has dropped during the last three years, but in the depth of the slump the total amount of flour consumed was the greatest, ever recorded in the Dominion.” Tbe Minister of Industries and Commerce, Hou. D. G. Sullivan: It. is well known, that ]>eop]e eat more bread when times are bad. Mr. Holyoake;: That, may be so, but I am quoting the consumption of flour and that would cover cakes, biscuits, and everything. The highest, consumption of potatoes bad been recorded in 1933-34, Mr. Holyoake continued, and the highest consumption of onions in 1932-33. More Beer Consumed. “It can readily be seen that, all these statements about poverty amidst plenty are only vote-catching talk,” said Mr. Holyoake. "In point of fact, tbe people to-day are not eating as much as they were a few years ago. They may not be eating w much, but they are drinking more, as the figures show that the consumption of beer bus gone up by two gallons a head during tbe last two years. I am not arguing about that, but, as a hop-grower, I would like to see more honest hops used in the brewing of our beer.” Mr. Holyoake said it was rather amusing to see members of the Government endeavouring to do a little vote-catching by playing on the names of the old Liberal leaders and describing them as Socialists. In spile of that, a daughter of the late Mr. R. J. Seddou had announced her candidature against a Socialist in Wellington, sous of the late Sir Joseph Ward were openly opposed to Labour, and tbe sou of another Liberal leader, the late Sir William Hall-Jones, was also contesting a scat against a Socialist, "Tbe no-contideuce amendment, defines the socialistic objectives of the Government,” Mr. Holyoake added. “After his tour of tbe country the Leader of the Opposition has given in his amendment a faithful interpretation of public feeling.”

SANE SOCIALISM

What Labour Stands For MR. ARMSTRONG EXPLAINS “The Opposition asks what sort of Socialism we stand for,” said the Minister of Labour, Hon. 11. T. Armstrong, during the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives yesterday. “We stand for sane Socialism, that’s all. What kind of Hotch-potch capitalism does the Opposition stand for? The member for Stratford, for instance, lias always wanted Socialism for tbe farmers and capitalism for cveryono else.”

Figures bud been produced by Mr. Hotyoiike, said tbe Minister, to show that people were eating and. drinkina less and wearing fewer clothes now than in the depths of tbe slump. Could anything more stupid emanate from the brain of man? lie asked. The reason that more mutton was eaten in the slump was that it was given away to keep relief workers alive. Hundreds of thousands of earcases had been sent to the works to lie boiled down for fat because there was no market for mutton overseas. The Year Book, from which Mr. Holyoake had quoted, showed every carcase actually not shipped as having been consumed in New Zeabind. no matter what hap poned to ii. If it was dumped into the sou il would lie recorded as being, consumed in Now Zealand. Mr. llolymikc admitted that inure milk w.-is consumed now than dni'ina the slump. That was because the Guv ernment was supplying Iboitsiinds of children with milk wtiere tbe last Gov eminent had not been able to supply them with water. More potatoes were eaten during the slump, but it. should lie reniemliered that at the time of the Irish famine, the worst period in I reland’s history, more potatoes were consumed than ever before. The truth was that in New Zealand tin- people could now afford oilier tilings than potatoes.

The Hon. Sir Charles Statham i Wei lingtoiii was grained two days' Icaw of absence on account of sickness by the Legislative Council yesterday.