Sharemilkers' Conditions

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 62, 15 March 1938, Page 8

Sharemilkers ' Conditions

BILL BEFORE THE HOUSE Talk of Union Domination “NO REAL OPPOSITION' * • Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. The Minister of Labour, Hon. H. T. Armstrong, in moving the second reading of the Sharemilking Agreements Bill in the House of Representatives this afternoon, explained the conditions which had led up to the introduction of the Bill. There were some farmers in different districts throughout the country who were conceding much better conditions than were provided in the Bill, but there were some cases in which definitely worse conditions were being offered sharemilkers. The great majority of sharemilkers and farmers would not be affected by the measure. There was nothing in the Bill which was not in the agreement reached between the Farmers' Union and sharemilkers ' representatives. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Opp.—Waitomo) stressed the importance of sharemilking in building up the dairying industry, encouraging people to learn it and build up capital. He mentioned, however, that the agreement would not solve the problem of the shortage of farm labour as the result of Socialist legislation.

Mr. B. Roberts (Govt. —Wairarapa) contended that the difficulty iu obtaining farm labour was not peculiar to New Zealand alone. It was caused by the increasing introduction of machinery and was being experienced in England to-day.

Mr. J. G. Coates (Opp.—Kaipara) touched on the origin of the agreement and declared the Minister and Labour Department did exactly what they were told to do by the New Zealand Workers' Union. The unions were the bosses, and exactly as they laid it down so did the Minister and his department have to spring to it. Mr. C. L. Hunter (Govt. —Manawatu) congratulated the Minister on being able to get the two parties to come to such an agreement as had been reached. He said it was not the New Zealand Workers' Union which had been responsible for the matter being brought before the Government as had been indicated by Mr. Coates. He had brought the matter up himself at the instigation of a number of sharemilkers who had desired an agreement. Mr. J. G. Cobbe (Opp.—Oroua) expressed surprise to hear sharemilkers had been badly treated. He thought that definitely they were on a very good wicket. The Minister of Labour, Mr. Armstrong, in reply, reiterated that be had been particularly careful to see that nothing that was not in the agreement was not put into the Bill. There had been no real opposition to the measure, but merely a few clumsy objections to it such as had been raised by the member for Kaipara, who had wanted to know who had asked for the Bill. The member for Stratford, Mr. W. J. Poison, said the Minister, had been among those who had asked for the Bill, but as soon as his back was turned and he had left for Australia to represent the farmers of New Zealand his farmer colleagues in the Opposition * ratted" on him and opposed the Bill. Mr. Speaker: Order! Order! The Honourable Minister must withdraw that remark.

Mr. Armstrong withdrew the remark as directed, but said he considered the action was as low as it was possible to go politically. The Minister added that the member for Kaipara had stated he had had some difficulty in understanding one of the clauses of the Bill. Other members of the House, said Mr. Armstrong, had understood the clause as a glance. If there was one “dud" in the House, why should the whole House be held up?

I Mr. Speaker: Order! The Honourable Minister must withdraw the term “dud."

Mr. Armstrong: I only said: “If there happens to be one dud." Mr. Speaker: Am I to understand, then, that the Minister did not refer to the member for Kaipara? Mr. Armstrong; I must admit that I did have the member for Kaipara in mind, so I'll withdraw it. Mr. Armstrong went on to tax Air. Coates with his knowledge of farming and asked what he knew of dairying. He might know something of gumdigging. Air. Coates: I'm not a dentist. Air. Armstrong: I don't know what you could draw if you were. Mr. Coates: It appears I can withdraw you, anyhow. Continuing, Air. Armstrong said that in general he was very pleased with the reception of the Bill by the House. The Bill was read a second time without division and the House adjourned. BUSINESS SPEEDED UP LAST NIGHT OF SESSION Per Press Association. WELLING lON, Lust Night. When the House of Representatives resumed this evening urgency was accorded the remaining stages of the Share Milking Agreements Bill and the Statutes Amendment Bill on the motion of the AJLinister of Education, Hon. P. Fraser. The House then proceeded with tne adjourned second readiug debate on tne Statutes Amendment | Bill. Atter the Attorney-General, Hon. H. G. E. Mason, had briefly replied to the debate the second reading was passed. Then House theu went into committee on the Share Milking Agreements Bill. While Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Opp.— Waitomo) was criticising the number of inspectors who, he said, would be increased under the Bill, he was subject to a number of interruptions by Government members. In reply to one

Atter the Attorney-General, Hon. H. G. Jtt. Mason, had briefly replied to the debate the second reading was passed. Then House theu went into committee on the Share Milking Agreements Bill. While Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Opp.— Waitomo j was criticising the number of inspectors who, he said, would be increased under the Bill, he was subject to a number of interruptions by Government members. In reply to one by Rev. C. L. Carr (Govt. —Timaru), he remarked that Mr. Carr would not be in the House after the next election, whereas he (Mr. Broadfoot) would be.

The Minister of Education, Hon. I*. Fraser, rose to d point of order, and stated that, as this was the last nigat of the session, ho considered the remarks of the honourable member were irrelevant.

Mr. Broadfoot reported that, if there were interjections, the interjectors must expect what was coming to them.

The Chairman of Committees, Mr. E. J. Howard, said that in future he would have to rule out interjections if they were of a personal nature.

The Minister of Education, Ale. Fraser, at this stage explained that the Bill had been asked for by the sharemilkers themselves and the farmers. Among those who had asked for it was the member for Stratford, Mr. W. J. Poison, who had urged the Prime Minister it should be introduced and passed. It was ou the personal representations of Mr. Poison that the Prime Minister had allowed the measure to proceed. The Government had no very strong feeling at all in the Bill. There was no question of forcing it through by weight of numbers or bludgeoning it through the House. The Bill had been introduced to protect the interests of some sharemilkers who were dissatisfied with the present conditions. This did not apply to all sharemilkers, because, as had been explained before, a great number of them were perfectly satisfied with their conditions.

The agreement embodied in the Bill had been signed by the secretary ot the Farmers' Union itself on behalf ct‘ that body. If it could be demonstrated, said Mr. Fraser, that there was any real opposition by farmers cr sharemilkers to the measure, it would be open to the House to re-consider the whole matter. The committee stages of the Bill were passed at 9.20, and the House immediately went on with the. Statutes Amendment Bill in committee.

On resumption after the supper adjournment the Minister of Railways (Hon. D. G. Sullivan) in answer to a J question by the leader of the Opposition, * Hon. A. Hamilton, concerning clause 13 of the Statutes Amendment Bill dealing ! with the prevention of lights, etc., liable to be confused with railway signals, said such lights constituted a very real danger and the clause was very badly worded. Air. R. A. Wright (Opp.-Wellington Suburbs) said they were all agreed that J such lights onstituted a danger, but j it was also dangerous for the Railway , Department to possess power to order j the removal of these lights arbitrarily, i At least the individual responsible for j the lights should have the right of » appeal. j The House went out of committee for the second reading of the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill, introduced ’ during the afternoon. Urgency was also accorded the passing c this measure, which was read a second time, j The Sharemilkers Agreement Bill was read a third time and passed, and the House went back into Committee on \ the Statutes Amendment Bill, the rei maining clauses of which were rapidly • passed. i The Reserves and Other Lands Dis- ; posal Bill (Washing-up Bill) was also ; rapidly put through the Committee I stages. Both the Statutes Amendment j Bill and the Washing-up Bill were read ; a third time and passed, j This concluded the business on the ; order paper with the exception of formalities and the House adjourned at 11 p.m. until 2.30 p.rn. to-morrow. TRIBUTE TO LABOUR MINISTER SHAREAIILKING AGREEMENT Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. Commenting on the Sharemilking Agreement Bill, Mr. A. P. O’Shea, Dominion secretary of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, said the fact that an agreement had been made was due largely to the tactful way in which the Minister of Labour handled matters, and it was a feather in his cap that any agreement at all had been made.

The Farmers' Union had found Mr.