CONTROL BILL PASSED

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 48, 25 August 1923, Page 13

CONTROL BILL PASSED

PLEBISCITE OF THE PRODUCERS

POLL BEFORE NEXT NOVEMBER.

The Dairy Produce Export' Control Bill was further discussed in the House of Representatives yesterday, after "The Post" went to press^ and was passed at the end of. the afternoon sitting. Mr. :A. D.- M'Leod (Wairarapa) opposed the proposal for a direct vote for the election of the producers' representatives. It would lead to men standing for election who were.not widely known. The BUi should provide for voting by provincial districts. : . ;

The Hon. A. T. Ngata. (Eastern Maori) said there was. a: risk that popularity rather than efficiency would be dominant so far a's the: election.by direct vote was concerned. However; ho supported the BUI, and said the risk had to be taken. Mr. J. McC. Dickson (Chalmers) favoured^ a direct vote by the suppliers, as being a less expensive method than elec tion under the electoral college principle. ■;• . '.. . ' :

The Prime, Minister - (the •: Right Hon. W. F. Massey) said it was a question of selecting the best men . and the best brains that could be. found in the country. -' ' . ■■';.• ■".-.■ • Mr. F Langstohe (Waimarino): "Trust the people." The Prime Minister: "I- would not like to trust the hon^.member." Mr. langßtone: "You would be trusting a good man." -..'■•• ■By appointing an electoral college,) said Mr. Massey, men of experience and knowledge, . holding , the confidence of the people,.would be;^secured. • j FIGHTING FOR A, PRINCIPI^E. Mr. E; Masters (Stratford) said the committee' had given: veiy- careful consideration to the matter j and that the majority 'of. the -witnesses .heard favoured the election of the board-by direct vote of -the producers. The'^farmers had passed, a, resolution; in; conference unanimously ; expressing the opinion. ■ that the suppliers should liave.a-direct vote^ The voting could bo carried out m districts or wards. -The Ajinister'sf proposal would alter the whole, principle that the committee and the farmers had been fighting for. ' '. ■

Mr. C. E. MacMfllan (Tauranga) opposed the, direct' vp^e;.'. It was wise of the to go back to what the producers.themselves wanted. ..'.'■ _^a The .Minister of Agriculture moveafc that' the words "direct- vote ]of the, bef struck out of Clause 4, with the objecn of' reinstating. the..original proposal fon the being elected by r electoral cpM lege,s. ;•■■•■"' "•■■ '- '■' ■»• ='.. ;■ •' _j«fj Mr.; -W. A.'Veitch (Wanganui) was strongly in favour of, the: retention of the words, and urged that'nothing should be .done that would be likely to shake the confidence of the-suppliers.- .' —~ ' Mr.- O:.Hawken'(Egmt>nt) said it would be possible under direct' voting for a man to .be elected to the board wHose 1 one object might be to destroy the usefulness of the boa?a. The college would do away • with that danger:; THere ■ would also be difficulty in ;atrahging elec-j tpral districts.. ..-.' . ;r":;:'.- ■ ■ r--. ■~J X; Sidey; (Dunedfe sSoufEj; said.that,if it was desired to:eeoure the ■confidence of, those opposed ,to, the Bill the best way-to do;so.;was^^rto give them the'direct vote..- ' .: ■'.' ■'. . . The Minister believed the college system was the. best in the interests of the; industry;- ■. .v . .. '. ■„ -. : The Hon. D.. Buddo (Kaiapoi) characterised the electoral college proposal as. absurd in a country, of such small population as New Zealand, as.only a sniall proportion of the people was engaged in the dairying industry.. THE AMENDMENT WITHDRAWN. Mr. W.i D. Lysnar' (Gusborne) supporj^ ed the direct vote, under -which. smaller I factories in the outer districts would feel .that they ' were represented. .Ifelectoral colleges were :■ instituted many i Birialler people would, have a siispicionj that their interests were, being sacrificed-* At this stage the Minister'asked'ToF permission to withdraw his amendment. ' ' .'' ' '■;"'■ ; .■'•*■ -' ■■ ■"■ ____j Mr. ■ M'Lepd: "Are' you : prepared to substitute .the electoral: system!" 'A voice: "Tne ward system." The Minister: "I propose-to look into that, 1 and, see if we can, dp it."'. The.clauso was passed with the wittH drawal of:>the a^mendm^ntjr^ndHtriJsisn -sppaai'td UiafyJCEeptipri "was tP 'be taken tp another minor section'pf l/the clause.

■ The Minister • said he would take responsibility for, everything. tKat appeared in the Bill., "There is no responsibility on. any, other .member; of the House," he said. . "Leave the Bill as it is, and.get.on with it-" :, ;'. .:. ' THE COMPULSORY PRINCIPLE. When Clause 12, embodying the compulsory'principle, was reached j Mr. S. G. Smith: protested against its introduction, and suggested its withdrawal or modification. . ■■ ■■"•'.'. .The Prime Minister: "Without the compulsory clsiuse the' Bill would be of no'value'. (Hear,-- hear.): It: was desirable in the' Bill for application in case of .necessity. . • .'. ■■■..'■'..•: .. • Mr. L.-M. Isitt (Christchurch North) strongly condemned the proposal. "It's all profit-here,'' he remarked, "and we erect a golden calf in the lobbies!" ; Mr. Fraser said that compulsion ' was applied in other wallis of life. Mr. Isitt, if he had his' way, would compel people to observe Prohibition; -.•'.. Mr. J. M. Dicksoh also opposed the compulsory clause. He did riot believe in compulsion or coercion'of any kind. A man should, have the right, to do as he pleased with his produce. Mr. Masters opposed: the :-. compulsory principle; .'.,. '"• .■':';,. v"'. "'•■.'.'.'• ' The Minister' of. AgricuKnre \ moved, and it"was decided without dissent, to reinstate 'the', provision relating to contracts as it,stood before.being.amended by the Stock and Agricultural .Committee. The effect of this alteration is to protect from the powers: of tlie board contracts entered into on. or before Ist July, 1923. ' .; ■.'. ; ..- . Mr. Masters called,for. a. division ..on clause 12 to test, the feeling of the House on- the compulsory' principle) .and the clause .was retained by .56 votes to 14. The division ljst was as follows:— '■'•' Ayes. ■ --. '.' : Noes.'. ; ''• . . Anderson. .: de la Perrelle Armstrong ..- Dicksori, J.^-M'C. ■■ Atmore. ■ ' Hahah . . Bartram ' laitt •' : Bitchener \ - Liike ;.:■•- . Bollard Lye .. Buddo ■■■ Masters' , Burnett Bolleston,: F. G. -Coates Bolleston, J. C. Corrigan ... Sidey w Dickson, J. S. Smith Edie ' " Veitch' .'.. : Field '■' • • . -Witty.' -..'■ .' Forbes ■ iWrig'hfc Fraser . ' '.. ■' . Girling v • ' -..' Glenn; . Harris Hawken : . 'I Henare Hockley ' ' ' ■ ;- - • HoJ'^nd : '■'.. ;';

Horn '. ' : : . Hudson '• Hunter Jordan Langstone ' . Lee Linklater Lysnar ■' ■ ■ M'Evrid* M'Kay M'Keen : . M'Leod . - Macmillan , ' Macpherson ■ Massey- ■ . . . Monteith. -..-.. Munro ' Murdoch . Ngata Nosworthy Parr Parry Poland . • Ppmare Potter Ransom Rhodes, Sir R. H. Rhodes, T. W.. '■ ' ■ ..■■■-.■'. Savage. ....'■■. .' . Stewart - Sykes . '-„., Thomson ■'■•''. Uru .-..•'• Wilford . ■ VOTE OF THE PRODUCERB. was reported' to enable a Governor-General's Message to be "ought down, providing that the Bill should - not come into operation until ■ a date'fixed by; Proclamation of the Executive Council,'issued subsequent to a majority of the producers- having expressed approval of the date at a poll to be .taken for the purpose. The clause provides for the vote to be taken on the alternative issue that "the Act be brought irttb operation or that it be not brought into operation. An officer of the Publio Service is to be appointed as returning officer. The poll is to be taken not later than the Ist November, 1923, and may be conducted by post. The-re-suit is to be published in the "Gazette." THe House went into Committee again when the proposal regarding tha plebiscite, was agreed t0,,. ' ■■'";' A SAD.SACRIFICE. ','. . The ; Bill was reported with' - amendment, arid 'on. the motion for- the third reading, Mr. Isitt placed on record his. opposition to' the..' measure. 'It was "a sad Bacrifice 6i political principle, he said, to obtain: material profit. Wheij: he heard the Leader of the'^extreme Labour: Party applaud the .Socialistic principle of the. Bill while.Reform members smiled approval,: ha wondered, where they had got to, He.wanted to--keep his skirts clear of association-.with any such principle; as that proposed in: the-Bill. .-. Mr.; G. ..Witty; supported Mr. - Isitt'. Mr., Holland, in.• reply_ to Mr; Isitt's "excited .outburst," said- the Labour Party, supported. the Bill '-biciuaexthey believed in effective marketing methods. The Bill was-read a third'time and passed." ; ...;..<•