LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 18, 21 July 1939, Page 11

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

DEBATE CONTINUED

THE GUARANTEED PRICE

The Address-iri-Reply debate was resumed in the Legislative Council today. The Hon. E. Dye (Auckland) said that he had been a farmer for twenty years and he agreed that the farmers had Hot had. a fair deal : in the past. The Labour Government had promised a guaranteed price, and the farmers in his district had said they would be happy with lid a 1b butterfat. The first price had been 12£ d. Since then it had been claimed that costs had gone up and made matters worse. That was not so.

The factory he supplied had. reduced costs last year. Wages had gone up but costs had been«cut ih other ways. Over a period of ten years statistics proved that farmers throughout New Zealand received more last year from dairy produce, and factory costs had decreased. Those statistics had been prepared by the Farmers' Union. Farming costs had certainly gone up because the farmers were paying for amenities they had never had before. They could not have electricity, motorcars, radios, and machinery and expect costs to remain the same. Under the guaranteed price the farmers hadj stability and were better off than ever before.

Commenting on the speech of the Hon. W. Hay ward (Canterbury), the Hon. F. E. Lark (Auckland) said that he could not understand how any responsible man could make the statements he had made. Mr.' Hay ward had said there were more empty shops in the cities than during the depression, but everyone knew that that was not so. The Government had given the people a decent standard of living, and if the sterling funds had been reduced it was because the people required the goods that had been purchased overseas.

"Where are these wild and woolly wretches?" said Mr. Lark, when 'referring to the Hon. C. J. Carrington's claim that there were Communists in New Zealand. When candidates had come forward as Communists the electors had shown how few followers of Communism there were.

The farmers were getting a fair return for their produce, Mr. Lark said, but they were not carrying out their share of the bargain. Allowance was made for labour in the guaranteed price, but the farmers went in for share milking and the share milker had to meet the labour costs.

The Hon. R. Mawhete (Wellington) expressed concern at the increased amount of drinking amongst Maori people. Statistics showed that only 10 per cent, of the Maoris. were drinkers. Many of those who were receiving increased wages were spending their money on drink. He understood a conference would be held in Wellington next month, and expressed the hope that means would be found to improve the position. -

Mr. Mawhete appealed to the Government to give Maori youths greater opportunities in the administrative affair's concerning Maoris.

The Hon F. E. O'Flynn (Canterbury) said he wanted to remind members that the Maoris had made their homes in New Zealand without borrowing or Government assistance. He hoped that some day the borrowing of money would cease.

The probability of invasion had been discussed, Mr. OTlynn said, but he did not think invasion would come by armies. Any invasion would come gradually He believed the Government had done a great deal for the Navy, Air Force, and land forces, but he considered there should also be a citizen army. The greatest danger in modern warfare would be panic, and the problem would be getting the townspeople into the country.

The setting aside of nearly 17 acres of. Crown land in Levin for State housing purposes is notified in the Gazette.