More About Scrimgeour Mystery

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 57, 9 March 1943, Page 5

More About Scrimgeour Mystery

Internal Marketing Defended Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Mar. 8. Continuing the Address-in-Reply debate Mr. Lee Martin, speaking of the settlement on the land of men returning from the present war, said he hoped areas would be purchased by the Government in such a manner as would give our soldiers the opportunity to make good and that they would not be faced with an overwhelming burden of debt. Mr. F. W. Doidge contended that the Government’s action in apportioning the increase in the price from Britain for New Zealand wool was tantamount to a barefaced steal. At the direction of the Speaker (Hon. W. E. Barnard) he withdrew the term “steal” and substituted therefor the term “robbery” which the Speaker in tho course of his ruling declared had a softer meaning than the former. Dealing with the Scrimgeour case Mr. Doidge said the Government had unqestionably lost prestige over the matter and its action had been exposed as weak, vacillating and spineless. Members, he thought, ought to bo told what was. behind the whole business, for it seemed to him from the Appeal Board proceedings that someone was gunning for Mr. Scrimgeour and the public was quick to resent anything that looked like a vendetta. Mr. Doidge also stated that the people of New Zealand were deeply concerned over statements made recently in the United States by Congressman Maas that New Zealand had used Eease-Lend funds to build airfields and the United States would not relinquish these airfields after the war. The I’rime Minister had replied to tho statement, he said, stating that it was untrue that the airfields were all built under Lease-Lend aid but he had not replied to the suggestion that when the war was ended the United States would retain air bases in this country. The Minister of Supply (Hon. D. G. Sullivan) said the matter had been raised officially. Mr. Doidge said the people of New Zealand were very appreciative of American aid, but it would be foolish to ignore the fact that there were many Americans who did not like us. For instance, there was a strange outburst recently by Mr. Wendell Willkie. The Hearst press had never disguised its dislike of Britain and there was also Henry Luce and Colonel McCormick (proprietor of the Chicago Tribune). These people of course were not representative of the vast body of United States opinion but their views were those ot a not inconsiderable portion. Then too, added Mr. Doidge, wo must remember that glad as we were to have United States aid they had only come into the war because they had to. Britain would always be Motherland to New Zealand and never over one acre of New Zealand would any flag fly save our own New Zealand flag and the Union Jack. Mr. A. G. Richards, speaking of Mr. Doidge’s reference to Mr. Scrimgeour, denied that Mr. Scrimgeour had been sacked. He had been suspended certainly, but now he had been reinstated. Mr. Richards defended the Internal Marketing Department and compared the prices of butter, wheat, meat, wool and cheese in New Zealand now with those during the last war. On these commodities in three years of the last war £18,000,000 excess war profits had been made, he said, but euch was not the case in the present war. He contended that most of the high prices were occurring in commodities not controlled by the Internal Marketing Division, and instanced peaches which were selling in Auckland at 1/4 each. The reason, he said, for these high prices was that shopkeepers in the more affluent residential suburbs forced up the prices at the markets to such an extent that they were out of reach of the consumers with more moderate incomes. Tho Minister of Marketing (Hon. J. G. Barclay) denied statements which, he said, had been published by some newspapers that the United States was getting more for butter and cheese sent to Britain than New Zealand was. The Minister said ho had cabled to England for the facts and had been informed that no butter was being shipped from the United States. Cheese from the United States was being bought for 6.27 d. sterling compared with 7.82 d. re ceived by New Zealand. To the United States forces in New Zealand we sup plied cheese at 7.43 d. per lb. Mr. Bar clay also contended that the woolgrowers were receiving 50 per cent, more for their wool than prewar, giving woolgrowers incomes for wool grown for export and consumption in New Zealand. He said in 1937-8 woolgrowers received £12,775,000; in 1938-9 £12,577,000; 1939-40, £16,411,000; 1940•41 £17,272,000; and in 1941-42 £18,167,000. Mr. Barclay added that there certainly had been an increase in production in the last two years but in prices alone the sheepfarmer was bet ter off to the extent of 36 per cent. The Government really understood the farmers * position and was trying to stabilise the position of the workers. A large part of the world’s population comprised native races, said Sir Apirana Ngata, and he would ask what place these coloured races were going to have in the operation of the principles of the Atlantic Charter and the new Christian Order. There had been some sort of smug complacency in some oi the addresses given from the churches and he would like to know what was going to be done in the new Christian Order for Mohammedans, Buddhists, Brahmins and the followers of Confucius. A lot of Maoris were wondering if their race was to share in the new Christian Order. Ho also stated that lack of co-ordination seemed to exist between the National Patriotic Board and the Provincial Councils and with regard to the Rehabilitation Board’s policy. He contended that executives should be appointed whom the Maoris should be able to approach to ascertain what was being done with regard to houses and land for Maori soldiers. He also urged the appointment of a Native Minister to deal with these subjects ana said the Maoris wanted not only equality in law, but equality of opportunity. He also advocated the settlement of old native land claims, Mr. Fraser interposing to say that in this respect some lead from the Maoris themselves wouia be helpful. Mr. A. F. Moncur paid tribute to New Zealand manufacturers, stating that we in this country could produce goods equal of any in the world. A plea that unnecessary marketing costs should be cut out in the case of essential commodities w r as made by Mrs. Grigg who suggested that a com- . mittee, including women members, , should be set up to investigate the whole matter. Women should be represented because they had to handle the family budget. Women, she said, were not asking for luxuries but they did ask

for good wholesome food for their families. She contended that it was wrong that a Government Department such os the Internal Marketing Division should make a profit for the handling of essential foodstuffs. She also stated that a large number of children under the age of 15 were working in factories, etc., and asked that the Government should take steps to disallow this practice. Mrs. Grigg made a plea for granting soldiers the freehold of their farm properties when they returned from the war, stating that it seemed unfair that they should be denied this privilege when they had fought for their country, yet they would be denied the right of ow*ning a foot of it. Mr. J. Thorn said that if the Internal Marketing Division were to be condemned on the mishandling of the commodities it dealt with, not on those for which it had no responsibility. For instance, it did not handle plums, peaches, New Zealand grown oranges, grapefruit or vegetables. These, commodities were controlled by private enterprise and the high prices were attributable to the present auctioning system operating on a market which was short of supplies. He complimented the division on its handling of apples, pears and lemons. The debate was continued by Mr. D. W. Coleman and Hon. J. Cobbe and was interrupted by the adjournment st 10.30 when the House rose until 2.30 to morrow.