A NEW ALLEGATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 76, 31 March 1939, Page 10

A NEW ALLEGATION

MR. NASH REPLIES

"CONFUSING THE ISSUE"

"In trying to make politics out of t meat, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe," said the Minister of Marketing (the Hon. W. Nash) today, "is reported to have taken up the cudgels on behalf of his former opponent and former colleague, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates. He suppports Mr. Coates's charge that New Zealand has been badly let down by the new Government and by myself personally.

"It will be remembered that a few weeks ago Mr. Coates rushed into print with assertions as to what he had done. He quoted figures which, by reference to his own official documents, I was able to prove to be completely wrong. I challenged him in explicit language, no 'verbal wriggling' as Mr. Cobbe has it, to prove or withdraw his figures. We all know he could not prove them. Admitting a mistake is always apt to be unpalatable. Therefore it is not at all surprising that Mr. Coates retired and has now let another ex-Minister try to confuse the issue after a lapse of some weeks.

"Mr. Cobbe has a new allegation to make. It is not surprising that, it should be made, but it is utterly untrue and should be laid at once. He alleges that the British Government's meat policy, particularly their regulation of mutton and lamb imports in the interests of their home producers, is somehow linked with New Zealand's import-control measures. There is not a shred of truth in that, and Mr. Cobbe, I think, knows that there is not. If there is any doubt, let me leave it to Mr. Cobbe to bring proof. He cannot.

"As to our import policy and its bearing on the United Kingdom, which we value greatly both as our main market and for other good reasons," concluded Mr. Nash, "let me recall to Mr. Cobbe's memory one figure. From 1929 to 1931, when Mr. Cobbe was a responsible Minister, New Zealand's imports crashed by 40 per cent. The Labour Government's policy has for one purpose the avoiding of disasters like that. In 1931, the troubles and the lack of policy of the Government with Mr. Cobbe as a Minister led to a Coalition in which he was joined by Mr. Coates. New Zealanders' recollection, I think it is fair to say, is that conditions were not thereby conspicuously improved. And now that Mr. Coates in turn is joined by Mr. Cobbe in his meat politics and attempts to discredit the Government, the result is hardly more impressive."