Pandemonium at Welcome Home

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 197, 22 August 1935, Page 7

Pandemonium at Welcome Home

To Messrs Forbes and Coates Communists Ejected by Police Finance Minister Reviews Meat Negotiations Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night.

A civic welcome home to the Prime Minister, Mr. G. W. Forbes, and the Minister of Finance, Mr. J. G. Coates, was extended by the city of 'Wellington in the Town Hall to-niglit, the Mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, taking the opportunity on behalf of the citizens to express good wishes to the Ministers. Messrs. Forbes and Coates, replying to the welcome, surveyed the outcome of their mission, Mr. Forbes discussing ehieily the King’s Jubilee celebration and Mr. Coates the meat, negotiations.

In their own fashion a noisy minority “welcomed” Mr. Forbes and Mr. Coates when they addressed an audience that in the main was friendly. The Communist clement was present in force and a number of intcrjcctors were removed by the police. Although Mr. Coates when he could-be heard prevented other ejections by an appeal to the police to leave the interrupters alone, Mr. Forbes’ opening was lost in booing and shouting from the'back of the hall, the main demand being ail explanation why he in a speech in Canada had committed New Zealand to war in the event of England’s participation. Mr. Forbes eventually was allowed to explain that what lie had said was that before New Zealand would go to war in association with England the New Zealand Parliament would have to be called together.

The explanation did not satisfy the back of the hall, pande monium reigning for several minutes.

Mr Forbes on His Trip j Mr Forbes in kis speech, once the rowdyism hud died dowu, spoke of the Jubilee processions iu London, and went ou to describe his visits to the industrial centres of Leeds and Bradford, and to the scientific research stations. lie paid tribute to tho work of Mr Coates and to their colleagues who carried the burden during their absence. Mr Coates during his speech also had to copo with repeated interjections. During tho height of the uproar when Mr Forbes was speaking, several members of the Democrat Party at present attending the conference in Wellington left the hail, this being interpreted as a gesture dissociating themselves from the rowdy element.

Review by Mr Coates Mr Coates, after rturning thanks for the welcome extended to the Prime Minister and himself, said the recent discussions had further cemented Imperial relations and the United Kingdom Government in formulating their agricultural and import policies would know the trend of developments in New Zealand and make full allowance for them.

“For our part wc have gained a surer and more iutimato and personal knowledge of tho great changes now taking place in the United Kingdom,” said Mr Coates.

In dealing with the conversion loan Air Coates said the conversion arrangements illustrated the high esteem in which New Zealand is held abroad, and they indicate, too, that New /lealand is regarded as one of tho most economically sound countries in the world.

Thu Finance Aliuister referred to the British Government’s desire to protect the British farmer and said New Zealand’s best policy was to cooperate with the United Kingdom Government so that any scheme evolved i'or protecting the British producer would as far as was humanly possible also be iu the best interests of the New Zealand producer. Now Zealand had secured an agreement that no levy or tax would bo placed by the United Kingdom on imports of New Zealand mutton and lamb. In addition the prineipi'o of regulated marketing was retained so that from both points of view—prices and quantities—the mutton and lamb agreement was eminently satisfactory.

The Outlook in Britain Dealing with the general outlook in Britain Air Coates referred to the activity iu many important lines of. British industry. ‘‘While the North is comparatively depressed there has been a shift in British industry to the South. Light industries are springing up within easy distance of Loudon and on a scale which suggests planned development. The industrial, transport and town-planning authorities are working together, and over a great part of .England new factories are to be seem. Buildings are going up, villages ate growing into towns and housing is being tackled on a national scale. There has been a spurt in new investment and a significant decrease in the numbers of those unemployed. England is in better shape than beforo the world depression. Confidence and industrial activity have returned. Unfinished Meat Agreement Mr. Coates then referred to the unfinished meat agreement. It might be said that as far as New Zealand was concerned they had reached a point before ho left where a satisfactory settlement had been arrived at. All the outstanding matters of difference between themselves and the other parties to the discussions —and tho differences were eonside-able enough at the early stages of .tho negotiations—had been cleared away. The settlement arrived at was acceptable to the New Zealand Cabinet and to the Meat Producers’ Board on behalf of the producers. But other Governments, some within and some beyond tho Empire—Governments which had ■ treaty rights in this connection —had yet to define their attitude. One point that had general recognition was that if producers were to be saved fjojc. fuiii

there must be intelligent regulation of supplies coming on to tho market. There must be a collective effort. If farmers insisted on remaining in cutthroat competition they would suffer. The next plain fact that had to bo faced was that the United Kingdom Government were not prepared ou its own undivided responsibility to regulate supplies comi 0 on to their market. They had found that was a task, however iieccessary it might be in the interests of producers generally, to which considerable odium and difficulty attached.

! Tho plainest lesson from experience was that a tariff would not solve the present problems even if it gave substantial preference to New Zealand, so they were driven back on to the necessity for a system of regulating supplies. Hence arose the suggestion of setting up an Empiro Meat Council which would have extensive responsibility in relation to market supplies. In addition to an Empire Meat Council it might be found necessary and expedient to have another inclusive authority which would embrace representatives of all supplying countries. To this conference the United Kingdom would call all who were substantially concerned with their meat market in the United Kingdom. It would be an advisory and recommending body acquainting the Governments of the facts aud outlook for various types of meat. An obviously indispensable part of any plan along the lines sketched was that within each producing country the producers themselves should bo effectively organised. Their representatives would be directly, linked with the Empire Meat Council and with any other body of the kind. In the light of that it was a matter for congratulation that in New Zealand they had an organisation, tho Meat Producers’ Board, already at hand and functioning.

“There has been a good deal of talk of imposing a levy on imports of agricultural produce in order that the United Kingdom producer might be assisted. Nothing was to be said about that boeauso nothing had been decided, “ said Mr. Coates, “but wo have made it clear that if tkero is to bo a levy—and this would inevitably fall in part at least on the producers in the countries of supply—we cannot be altogether indifferent to the purposes for which it would be used. If it were earmarked solely for subsidising the competitors of our producers regardless of their efficiency it w-ould bo moro objectionable.

“If in part at any rate it could be used for taking surpluses off tko market and for distributing them to people who would otherwise be going short it would to that extent be less objectionable. That is the view we havo pressed. The task of increasing consumption, especially among the poorer sections of the community, had to be watched,” continued Mr. Coates. “That problem was important to the discussions in London and there was every prospect that definite steps will be taken to increase the consumption of foodstuffs. The iow consumption of butter and meat products among the wage earners and others of low incomes as well as the importance of the price factor was shown by recent inquiries in Britain. Inquiry showed that -1,500,000 of tho population with an income of Is per week per head spend 10a per week per head on meat and 2d on butter; 9,000,000 with an income of 5s 9d per head per week spend 17d per head per week on moat and 4.2 d on butter; 9,000,000 with au income of 8s per head per week spend 24.5 d on meat and 5.9 d on butter; 9,000,000 with an income of 10s per head per week spend 2Sd on meat and 7.1 d on butter. Seventy per cent of the people covered in the investigation, or, say, 31,000,000 out of the population of 45,000,000 spend on an averago 21d per week on meat and 5.2 d on butter. On the other hand those with incomes over 34s per head, or about 4,500,000 spend old on meat per week and 10.2 d on butter. Naturally it was to New Zealand's interest to co-operate in any endeavours to increase consumption and the Government would give sympathetic support .to any: practicable methods of in-

creasing consumption in New Zealand.” Many other questions of importance to New Zealand received attention, said Mr. Coates. Careful inquiries were mado into housing policies, health insurance aud pension schemes. In addition discussions were held with representatives of Belgium, India, Germany, Russia. South Africa and Sweden. These would be dealt with in detail at a later date.