BUTTER REPORT.

Northern Advocate, 21 October 1920, Page 2

BUTTER REPORT.

TALKED OUT AGAIN.

GOVERNMENT DISREGARDS

HOUSE,

NEW PRICE PROCLAIMED,

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, This Day. , Members who have been pressing for an opportunity to discuss the report of the Butter* Committee were given another innings yesterday afternoon. The report had already been before the House twice and had been talked out on each occasion. The Government in the meantime has adopted • the committee's recommendation and proclaimed the new price of butter.

Labour members protested loudly yesterday against what they termed the Government's disregard of the will of Parliament ,their reference oeing to ah amendment moved by Mr Mc-' Combs proposing that the report should be referred back to the committee in order that the price of butter might be fixed at Is 9d.

The report was talked out again yesterday without a vote on the amendment being reached, and as the Prime Minister stated that he did not think the report would be before tho House again this session the buttsr armagement may be regarded as completed.

The debate yesterday did not throw much new light on any phase of the subject. The members were limited to ten minutes each, and many who wished to speak did not succeed in catching the Speaker's eye.

The Minister of Agriculture suggested bluntly that ; the people who were making the most noise about the price of butter could help themselves by consuming a little less and working more. The dairy farmer was ' the hardestworking worker in this country and he received a smaller wage than most of the people who were objecting to his getting an increase.

Mr L. M. Isitt (Christchurch North) advocated am export tax and accused the farmers of inconsistency. They wanted a free market for butter, but they wanted the prohibition of the export of timber maintained in order that world prices might not rule in the local timber market. They demanded the full export prica of lutter, but wished the Government to help them to avoid taking the present exporj; price of wool now that the price had dropped. Then, the representatives of the dairying districts stated the case for the dairy farmer aud insisted that he was* not getting all he earned, even at present prices.

Mr H. E. Holland, Leader of tho Labour Party, told the House angrily that, the Government *vas blocking full discussion of an issue that contained the germs of the biggest industrial trouble New Zealand had ever seen. Ho advised the workers to demand at once increases of wages sufficient to cover the addition that was being made to the cost of living. A dozen members wore on their feet when .the last speaker was called, with about one minute to go.