More Amendments Proposed To Dairy Control Bill

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 July 1947, Page 2

More Amendments Proposed To Dairy Control Bill

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Further divisions were called for when the Opposition moved several amendments during the committee, stage of the Dairy Marketing Commission Bill in the House of Representatives today. ' The first of these amendments was to the clause of the bill providing that if the commission makes adjusting payments to bring the local price up to the export price the commission shall be’reimbursed from the Public Account and, conversely, that if the local price should exceed the export price the commission should pay the difference into the Public Account. Mr S. W. Smith (Opposition, Hobson) moved that the Minister should report at least yearly to Parliament what amounts were paid out of or into the Public Account under this clause. The amendment was defeated by 37 to 34. Provision of Finance

Mr T. C. Webb (Opposition, Rodney) moved an amendment to clause 23 of the bill to the effect that it should be mandatory on the Minister of Finance to make available to the commission the necessary financial accommodation to enable it to perform its functions.

The existing clause merely empowers the Minister to .do this. Mr Webb said the purpose of his amendment, was to make clear in the bill that there was an obligation qn the Minister of Finance to make available the necessary moneys to enable the commission to pay out the prices it fixed for produce. No doubt that was already intended, but the intention should be clearly written into the bill in a manner that all could understand. The Minister of Agriculture, Mr Cullen, replied that the clause in question had already been agreed to by the industry and by the Dairy Board. It was fully recognised by those in the dairy industry that the Government would at all times honour its pledge to the commission.

Mr R. M. Algie (Opposition, Remuera) said the amendment was not merely a legal quibble; it sought to give effect to the spirit of the act. Public Servants’ Position

Mr M. H. Oram (Oppn,, Manawa-, tu) moved an amendment to the clause of the bill which provides that the employees of the commission appointed from the Public Service may retain their status as members of the Public Service. Mr Oram moved that any employee of the Crown appointed to be an officer or servant of the commission should be deemed for all purposes to have ceased to fee employed in the service of the Crown, Mr Oram said -his amendment would not prevent any public servant, who accepted employment with the commission, from returning to the Public Service at a later date, but it would rightly prevent such a person from returning to the Public Service with advantages over those who remained in the Public Service throughout. The commission was in this respect in exactly the same posiItion as a private firm and officers engaged by the commission were whollyremoved from the jurisdiction of the Public Service.

Mr Oram said it was likely that promotion would be more rapid and rates of pay higher in the employ of the commission than in the Public Service. The principle he advocated had been recognised in other similar legislation, notably the Linen Flax Corporation Act. The House adjourned for lunch at 1 p.m.