WASTE OF TIME.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVII, Issue 4473, 21 November 1933, Page 4

WASTE OF TIME.

The protest made by the member for Egmont, Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, that Parliament is wasting its time on trivialities when matters of vital importance to the whole Dominion are left in the background, is well timed. At the present time Parliament is occupied in considering Bills for the promotion of poultry raising and tomato growing.. It is extremely doubtful if any engaged in these two industries want to be nursed by the State—the majority do not wish to be penned round with instructions and interference by Government officials. There has been too much of this in the past with other industries to welcome such State paternalism. If the poultry people and tomato growers consider that there is a probable export trade in these two lines it can safely be left with themselves to open up that trade by their own efforts. In the meantime Parliament would be better occupied in studying the big problems now confronting the Dominion—such as unemployment, finance, exchange rate, the possible quota on our exports, and many other matters of vital importance to the country. At the present time the Dominion is passing through the most critical period in its history, and it is for Parliament to study the difficulties we are now facing so that they can be dealt with in a statesmanlike way. With a return to normal times tomatoes and fowl runs could be dealt with, for neither of these are going to bring us back to prosperity.