NAMES WITHELD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23073, 25 June 1938, Page 16

NAMES WITHELD

A RECENT DEPUTATION ATTITUDE OF MINISTER CRITICISM BY MILK COUNCIL DISAPPOINTED WITH REPLY "I can only class the Minister's reply as puerile," said Mr. I. J. Goldstine, chairman, at yesterday's meeting of the Auckland Metropolitan Milk Council, referring to a letter from the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, in answer to a request from the council to supply the names of members of a deputation which waited on him in Auckland on June 4 complaining that dairy farmers intended to increase the price of milk and that the Milk Council would pass on the additional cost to consumers. In the letter received at yesterday's meeting, the Minister explained that he was unable to give the names of those composing the deputation as he had not their authority to do so. He added that this attitude was pot unusual in dealing with deputations to members of the Government. The Public Interest "I am frankly sorry that the Minister has not seen fit to take us into his confidence," said Mr. Goldstine. "I do not agree with him when he says it is not unusual to suppress names of members of deputations when they are concerned with matters *>f public interest. Not only the local authority implicated, as is the Milk Council in this case, but the public generally have the right to know who are making such representations." "I consider that the Minister's letter is a gratuitous insult to the council," said Mr. C. J. Lovegrove. "I should like to have the names of the deputation," said Mr. N. V. Douglas, "because it has been suggested that I was responsible for it. I wish to give that statement the lie direct now." Resolution by Council "If it were known who composed the deputation, we should probably treat it as a joke," added Mr. Goldstine. "We should possibly find that it was a large deputation of three, selfappointed." A resolution was carried that the Minister bo informed that the council was disappointed with his reply for two reasons, the first being that it was unusual to suppress the names of deputations to Ministers on matters of public interest, the second that the council, as the local authority charged with the control of milk prices, had not been given an opportunity to present its account of the situation.-