TOBACCO GROWING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22710, 24 October 1935, Page 9

TOBACCO GROWING

PROPOSED LEGISLATION BOARD TO BE ESTABLISHED i (From Our Parliamentary Rej>orter> WELLINGTON, October 23. A Tobacco-growing Industry Bill designed to establish a Tobacco Board was unexpectedly introduced in the House of Representatives this evening by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr C. E. Macmillan, on behalf . the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr R. Masters. The board is to have general control of the industry and it is to consist of nine persons, one representing the Government, four appointed by the Government to represent the growers, and four appointed by the Government to represent the manufacturers. The Government representative will be chairman. The Bill provides that no tobacco shall be grown commercially in New Zealand except under a licence issued by the board. The licences granted by the board may provide the conditions relating to the quantity of tobacco that may be grown, or to land used. Except in accordance with a warrant issued under the legislation, no raw tobacco grown in New Zealand shall be purchased by any person, and no raw tobacco grown in New Zealand shall be manufactured by any person who has not bought it. The board may grant warrants authorising the selling or manufacturing of raw tobacco, and the conditions may be attached to the warrants. The board will be authorised to require manufacturers to supply information relating to their production and to the sources of their supply of New Zealand-grown tobacco, and to demand certain information from growers. An important provision empowers the board to promote the sale or disposal in New Zealand or elsewhere of any raw tobacco grown in New Zealand. The board will also have authority to fix u levy, in no case exceeding id a lb, on New Zealand tobacco sold by growers. Differential charges may be fixed in respect of different classes of tobacco. All moneys received by the board shall be paid into a separate account at an approved bank and shall be applied by the board as follows: —(a) In payment of expenses, commission and other charges incurred by the board; (b) in payment of the salaries and wages of the officers of the board; (c) in payment of travelling allowances and fees; (d) in the building up of a reserve fund; and (e) for other purposes as may be prescribed. The board will have no authority to borrow without the consent of the Minister of Finance. No member of the board will be personally liable for any act or default of the board done in good faith. Certain penalties are provided for breaches of the legislation. The Agriculture (Emergency Powers) Act of 1934 is extended to apply to the Tobacco Board in the same way as it applies to other produce boards, providing for the transfer of powers. The final section of the Bill empowers the GQvernor-General-in-Council to make regulations relating to the Bill. Replying to the Leader of the Opposition, Mr M. J. Savage, the Minister said that he did not intend to send the Bill to committee for investigation. The Bill's provisions had been fairly generally agreed to by growers, manufacturers and the Government.