"BLUDGEONED THROUGH"

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 83, 7 April 1936, Page 16

"BLUDGEONED THROUGH"

A STRANGE SILENCE

QUESTIONS FOR OPPOSITION

Mr S G. Smith (National, New Plymouth) suggested to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance that they were forcing upon the people of the Dominion something , that members of their own party were unable to get up in the House and defend. (Government laughter.) ! "After all," he continued, "what would the people of the great city of Auckland say when they knew that the Bill was being bludgeoned through the House and that not one member from Auckland City apart from the Prime Minister had got up in the House and defended it?" He did not say they were not capable of defending it, but it was a strange silence. What was going to happen to the people of the country responsible for sending the primary products overseas? The result of the clause giving the Government power to raise money to give guaranteed prices to the producers might ultimately result in the wrecking of the overseas markets. Yet the Minister of Finance said there was no need to refer the Bill to a Committee. He asked if members of the House knew what was in the Bill. :

Chorus of Government members: Yes.

"Then why don't you say something about it?" demanded Mr. Smith, to the accompaniment of laughter from the Government benches.

Mr. Smith : concluded with another exhortation to the .Government members to get up and speak on the Bill, and remarked that the Bill was the first step to provide paper money to tie the farmers of the country to the Government, and it would take them a long time to get rid of the shackles that were placed upon them. ' ■