A PROTRACTED DEBATE

Southland Times, Issue 22992, 11 September 1936, Page 8

A PROTRACTED DEBATE

Members Exchange -Words MR SMITH CALLED TO ORDER A LARGE AMOUNT OF INTERJECTION (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, September 10. After an exceedingly protracted discussion on the Short Title in c°nj" mittee, the Agricultural Workers Bill, providing for minimum wages to labourers on dairy farms and for standards of accommodation for farm workers generally was passed by the House of Representatives to-night. The Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage), had to move the closure to terminate the discussion on the Short Title, but subsequently the Bill went through with very little opposition. The discussion on the Short Title lasted for about four hours. In the opening stages the debate was dreary in the extreme, with hardly anything in the way of fresh argument. In reply to one question the Minister of Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) said that the Government’s housing scheme was designed so that assistance could be given to farmers who wished to provide homes for their workers. During the evening sitting personalities began to creep into the debate. Mr S. G. Smith (Nat., New Plymouth), twitted Government members with having no great knowledge of farming and no great sympathy with the farmers. In reply to interjections, he described Mr A. G. Hultquist (Lab., Bay of Plenty), as a “political fledgling,” who knew nothing about the problems arising from the Bill. He added that the Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister of Finance (Mr J. A. Lee), probably knew more about slums than he did about farms. Mr Wilkinson’s Attitude. The Minister said that Mr C. A. Wilkinson (Ind., Egmont), had attempted to pose in the debate as a friend of the farm labourer. However, he had not always taken up that sympathetic attitude. If he had not actually been exploiting the farmers, he had probably been charging them too much for the goods he sold them. Mr Wilkinson and his kind, in company with the money-lending fraternity, had probably been responsible for a good deal of the farmers’ troubles. Rising to a point of order, Mr W J. Broadfoot (Nat., Waitomo), asked whether the Minister was in order in using the word “exploitation” in reference to a member’s private affairs. “I do not see that such reference has been made,” said the Chairman of Committes (Mr E. J. Howard). “The word ‘exploitation’ may not mean quite what you think.” After a considerable amount of interjection by several members, including Mr Smith, Mr Floward rose to his feet. “Will the committee stand by me?” he asked. “If this man (pointing to Mr Smith) continues to interject I shall name him and send for Mr Speaker. He is a past Chairman of Committees and he has been acting in a manner that is not fitting to members of this House.” The Minister stated that for years past there had been complaints by school teachers in Taranaki that, as a result of having to work all hours on dairy farms, children were going to sleep in school and could not do their work. It was nothing more or less than child slavery. Only One Farm Concerned. “The Minister’s statement is not correct,” said Mr Smith. “I was chairman of the Taranaki Education Board for 10 years, and only once during that time was there a complaint by a teacher about children going to sleep in school. Only one farm was concerned, and it was found that in that case action was justified. It is not fair to say that there is child slavery going on in Taranaki.’’ Immediately Mr Smith had finished the Prime Minister rose and moved the closure. The motion was carried without a division. During consideration of the Bill, clause by clause, the Minister introduced an amendment to provide that boys under the age of 15 employed or. farms at the date of the passing of the Bill will be able to retain their employment. The remaining clauses were approved without discussion and within a few minutes the Bill was read a third time and passed.