FARMERS READY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 71, 21 September 1939, Page 19

FARMERS READY

TO PLAY THEIR PART

The Hon. J. G. Cobbe (National, Mahawatu) said he saw no reason for the display of temper. Past history had shown that the farmers were just as ready to do their duty as any other body in the Dominion. Indeed, he did not know of anyone who had contributed more than the farmers. It looked very much like an attack on the farming industry. The arrangement had been made behind the backs of the farmers, and he questioned whether the two men on the Tribunal had sufficient information about, these prices. . . . Mr. Sullivan: I .did not attack the farming industry. I was. talking about friendly co-operation; -. - . : Mr. Cobbe: We are quite prepared to co-operate. .." Mr. T. H. McCombs (Government, Lyttelton): What about the member .for. Stratford? ! . Mr; Cobbe: We are all prepared to co-operate with,the Government where we reasonably can. ANXIOUS TO CO-OPERATE. Mr. W. A. Bodkin (National; Central Otago) said that if the Minister wanted the co-operation of the farmers he had been a little unfortunate in his language. The farmers were as anxious as'anyone else to co-operate with the Government and any other section. ; Government members: He said that. Mr. Bodkin: Yes, and he also said that other sections said to him, "Are! you going to regiment us and allow j the farmers to go free?" Mr. Sullivan denied this, and was backed up by Government members. Mr. Bodkin said that the fat stock market was not a war problem. It was a problem that arose every year, j He suggested that the trade unions, were the first to put up their hands and try to profiteer. "Look "at the camps and the carpenters The Acting Prime Minister (the Hon. P. ■ Fraser): That is definitely incorrect. Mr. Bodkin: There are thousands of young fellows volunteering to serve New Zealand at 7s a day. Mr. Speaker intervened, and emphasised that the debate must be rele- j vant to the Bill. ! Mr. Bodkin bowed to this ruling, though he said it was a bit difficult to do so .when a- body like the farmers was slandered, not by direct accusation, but by inference. "We do not j expect the farmers to get any special j treatment," he said. "They will be right out to co-operate with the Government a hundred per cent." Mr. B. Roberts (Government, Wairarapa) denied that the Minister had attacked the farming community. It j was the member for Stratford who had stepped off on the wrong foot. Mr. Holland said that the stronglyworded attack by the Minister on the member for Stratford was entirely unwarranted. There was no section of the community that was going to contribute more to a solution of a very great problem than the farmers, and i the representatives of the farmers had I a perfect right to express their views on the policy of the Government. Mr. Holland .complained that the rights and privileges of the representatives of the people, were being filched from them by the corps of controllers that had been appointed, and he contended that it was manifestly impossible for any two men to control the prices of every commodity in the Dominion. He knew of one firm that had put in to the Tribunal a list of .five hundred items. There should be some elasticity, and the Opposition was well within its rights in calling attention to injustices such as this.