FOOD CONFERENCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25344, 27 October 1945, Page 8

FOOD CONFERENCE

DOMINION'S POSITION NO FARMERS' DELEGATE CRITICISM AND EXPLANATION (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Friday Criticism of recent statements made by the High Commissioner in Canada, Mr D. Wilson, leader of the Now Zealand delegation, to the food and agriculture organisation conference in Quebec, was made by .Mr W. J. Poison (Opposition—Stratford), speaking to the second reading of the Imprest Supply Bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives this morning. Mr Poison said New Zealand was the only country in the world which had not sent a farmer to the conference, which was dealing with the food supply of the world. Mr Wilson had declared in effect that the world must adjust itself to New Zealand conditions—a case of the tail wagging the dog. Mr Wilson's suggestion that New Zealand required for her produce prices in line with costs and New Zealand's internal economy was fantastic. More Production Essential

When the rest of the world returned to normal, Mr Poison continued, the extremely high prices which had obtained during the war would probably fa.ll again. If that happened New Zealand's only means of meeting her obli-gations—-and he agreed that most oi •he programme the Government had undertaken was desirable in the interests of a. happy people-—was to build up export production to counter taking prices. Tho Minister of Agriculture, Mr Roberts, said the delegation was headed bv Mr 10. .J. Fawcett, director-general of the Department of Agriculture, and Mr Pottinger, deputy-director of the Fxport .Marketing Division, and New Zealand's views wore presented to the conference by Mr Wihon in his capacity as High ('onimi-Moncr in Canada. J'lie work of the conference who not so much consideration ol iarming matters, but world organisation and expansion _ ol marketing procedure. The inundations would have' to be laid for permanent food supplies in the future, and the Minister considered the New Zealand delegation was capable of dealing with the matter. Mr Wilson Supported It was not a question of discussing at the conference the high prices which ruled during the war, said Mr ,Roberts, but the question of building a stabilised agriculture which would be able to bring into being foodstuffs and which would not frustrate farmers by fear of slumps and depressions. Mr Roberts asserted that Mr Wilson was quite right in pointing out that New Zealand bad a special economy which depended on the world's markets, and to maintain that economy it was necessary tliat agriculture and food production should be put oil a world basis. _ , Mr A. S. Sutherland (Opposition — TTauraki) said it was unjust and unfair that New Zealand farmers were not represented at the conference. The Minister of Agriculture was completely out ol touch with the farmers. Statement by Mr Nash The Minister of Finance. Mr Nash, replying to the discussion, said that if anyone was at fault it was himself, because the Prime Minister was away at the time. However, the position was that from the information available they had understood the conference was to" he merely an official interGovernmental one, and they had sent tho best possible delegates, including the Director-General of Agriculture. Mr Nash pointed out that on the occasion of the wool conference in London, when the growers were directly concerned, they had two representatives in the New Zealand delegation.

WORK OF COMMITTEES REPORT FROM QUEBEC (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Friday At the plenary session last Monday of the Food and Agriculture organisation conference at Quebec representatives of a further four United Nations added their signatures to the constitution, thus increasing to 34 the number of signatory Governments, states a report from the leader of the Is'ew Zealand delegation. Hon. I). Wilson, to the Minister of External Affairs, .Mr Eraser. As the conference passes into the second week pressure is being put on committees to speed their work in the hope that reports may be completed by Saturday, the report continues. For the purpose of expediting consideration ot their agenda several of the technical committees have temporarily broken up into expert panels, each dealing with a particular phase of the more general committee recommendations concerning the organisation's policy and programme. These recommendations of committees will then be submitted to the commissions which in turn will report to the conference itself. The agricultural committee has appointed seven special panels. . j This multiplicity of committees and sub-committees, concludes the report, means for most of the delegations continuous meetings from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, with an hour's break for lunch, and occasional plenary sessions or informal consultations during the evenings. NURSES' SALARIES (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Friday Describing salaries paid to the nursing profession as "totally inadequate," the Wellington 'Hospital Board decided to urge the Government to permit revision of the whole salary scale, "so that justice will be done to this line body of women." RETURN OF AIRMAN Among the servicemen who returned to Now Zealand in. the liner Andes was Flying Officer E. A. Sutherland, youngest son of Sir and Mrs L. J. Sutherland, of Mangere. His name was not included in the official list.