Parliament Last Night

Northern Advocate, 17 March 1944, Page 2

Parliament Last Night

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Speaking in the House of Representatives last night Mr A. G. Osborne (Govt.-One-hunga) said the Opposition claimed that they would abolish the Internal Marketing Division. If that were done the only alternative was Ir.ee marketing, and that meant the law of supply and demand. Just what that 'meant 'was illustrated by oranges. Australian oranges had had the price fixed from 2/6 to 6/- a dozen, but New Zealand-grown sweet oranges, which were not controlled, had been sold at from 10/- to 12/- a dozen. Mr R. M. Algie (Oppn.-Remuera) entered a protest against ministerial silences and claimed that more information should be given the people through Parliament. Were restrictions on rail travel, gas supplies, etc., to be a permanent part of the nation's life? Mr Fraser was leaving soon for the Imperial Conference. Would the people know nothing of the plans he would lay on the Empire’s council table until those plans were an accomplished fact? Would the Minister for Education not indicate the Government’s attitude to the educational reforms scheduled for discussion this year? Manpower Problem Mr Clyde Ca:"] (Govt.-Timaru) said manpower was a problem and some manpovver officers had muddled. Men had been sent overseas who should never have gone. Others remained who should have been sent. He quoted a case of a man who was badly needed on a farm who was a mess orderly in the Pacific. He added that in general, the manpower job had been well done and to condemn it because of a few exceptions was wrong and unfair. Mr F. W. Doidge (Oppn.-Tauranga) said that despite all the Government’s promises, there were a number of tragic cases of men returned from this war for whom rehabilitation so far had failed to achieve anything worthwhile. So long as theGovernment left the Land Sales Act on the Statute Book it would find difficulty in getting land for settlement of returned men. It was true that many land agents were advising men that they had little prospect of finding, a suitable farm under the Act. The reason was. said Mr Doidge, that farmers would not risk confiscation of their land. The House rose at 10.30 p.m. until 2.30 on Wednesday.