STATE MARKETING

Grey River Argus, 4 December 1940, Page 6

STATE MARKETING

£621 MILLIONS Department's Work for Season DEBATED IN HOUSE [Per Press Association] WELLINGTON, Decemlnn- 3 As indicated by the Prime Minister on Friday, to-night’s debate in the House was devoted to the Marketing Department’s report, and when the House met at 7.30, urgency was sought for the consideration of the report to enable the sitting to last until midnight. It wa s also decided that the speeches should be extended to 30 minutes, instead of th e customary 15 minutes. Mr J. G. Barclay (Govt, Marsden L dealing with the activities of the Marketing Department, said that during the full season the exports handled by the Marketing Division totalled sixty-two million pounds in New Zea’and currency. Of tins amount, dairy produce accounted for £25,499,000; meat for over £19,500,000; and wool for £16,379,000. There were a lew other items, such as tailow woolly skins, etc., which brought the’ total ‘to £62,569,000. _ It was a tremendous sale. Continuing, Mr Barclay said that Mr Nash was the man who, more than anyone else, had brought about stability in the sale > 5; our produce, and stability to the farmers. The deficit in the Dairy Industry Account, said Mr Barclay, totalled £2,160,336; but during the last three months of this season, the butter output from the factories had increased by 27 per cent., and the. cheese output by 60 per cent. Mr F. W. Doidge (Nat., Tauranga): You can’t take credit for that. Mr Barclay: Of course w e can. If it were down, we would get the blame for it! . Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Nat., Waitomo). contended that millions of pounds had been taken out of farmers’ pockets and given to less worthy members of the community. Rt. Hon. P. Fraser: "Who are those less worthy members ” Mr Broadfoot: "People who are not working the number of hours and getting more wages than the farming community. They are taking money they have not earned.” Mr Broadfoot criticised increased costs of dairy farmers. He said the country was told it was going to be insulated against overseas prices, but th<. Minister of Marketing had told the Dairy Conference that prices overseas were a factor that had to be considered in the main in fixing the guaranteed price. The insulation theory was one mor e , of theories that had gone wrong. Mr B. Roberts (Govt.,. Wairai’apa) said that during the last two or three months there had been some fierce criticism of the Minister of Market- ' ing, but he considered that the Minister’s actions had been fully justified by events. The conditions were such that, with pnly one buyer, namely, Britain, the Government must see that a national policy in relation to farming must operate, at any rate during the period of the war. Mr W. S. Goosman (Nat., Waikato) quoted figures to show that .he farmer who had capital invested and had to work long hours had his income fixed by the guaranteed price. In many cases he was receiving less than factory ■ workers who were handling his products, but factory workers had been getting a fiv e percent. bonus. The Minister of Marketing knew that dairy farmers did not wish him to ask Britain for more for their produce, but they did want him to reduce their costs. The Minister of Marketing, Mr Nash, gave detailed account _of the procedure followed by the Government in the purchase of dairy produce. Dealing with factory. costs, he emphasised that the promise he .had given the Dairy Confeience stood, namely, that, if the sum allowed in the guaranteed price lor factory costs were exceeded the Government would immediately take the matter into consideration. Mr Nash added he thought that they might strike difficulties, even although an arrangement had been reached with the people at Home, wherein they stated that the agreement which’New Zealand had would continue until, there was an element of stability in the Home market. That did not alter the fact that New Zealand may be faced, at that time, with an abnormal output, alongside the competition from margarine and from the supplies from other countries. That was the time when the guaranteed price would again ipquire some consideration. The marketing machinery, h e . said, had been organised as near to per- • faction as anyone said that it could be. That was the testimony, of New Zealand’s competitors. With that record, he. was prepared to let it go to the farmers of this country, and let them judge when they knew all tha facts. The ,’debate was) Continued bv Messrs Boswell and Dickie. Mr Barclay briefly replied, and the House rose at 11.45 p.m. until 2.30 to-morrow.