CLOSURE

Stratford Evening Post, Volume IV, Issue 124, 7 May 1936, Page 3

CLOSURE

MARKETING BILL. GOVERNMENT'S HASTE Still More Criticism By" ' Opposition. SHORT TITLE PASSED. Press Association— Copyright. Wellington, May 8. Three hours were devoted to the discussion of the short title of the Primary Products Marketing Bill.in .the House of Representatives to-night before the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, moved the closure and the short title was passed. More than one application of the closure was required in the committee stages which followed. Mr. W. A. Bodkin (Opp., Central Otago) said when the House went into committee that it seemed that because some farmers were in the hands of speculators all decent farmers were to be thrown- to the wolves. He thought it would have been more prudent if the Government had allied itself with the solvent farmer.

Mr. K. J. Holyoakc (Opp., Motueka) said he believed that even the Government members did not realise the wide powers given and taken under the Bill. He thought the Bill might be called the Primary Products Dictatorship Bill, for it gave the Minister absolutely dictatorial powers over the industry. The Bill cut right across traditional British rights which had been won in bitter struggles for centuries. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Opp., Waitomo) said he wondered if the Minister was going to take in hand the shipping problem on the coast of Nov/ Zealand. He thought overseas vessels were too long on the New Zealand coast. The Bill was certainly a marketing measure, said Mr. Broadfoot, but he objected to the farmers being,treated like children. lie considered the directors of dairy factories, with the experience of a lifetime, could make a better job of marketing than any department of State. He thought the farmers would be disappointed when they were told what the guaranteed price' was going to be. He contended that the work of the House should not be affected by broadcasting. If broadcasting were going to interfere with the work of the House it should be cut out. ~ Living Standard* ' Mr. Nash said that regulations, made under the Bill had to be approved by Parliament within 28 days if the House were sitting or within 23 days of the opening of Parliament. This -Government could not control any prinwy products except dairy products/.:' without first coming to Parliament, ,; ? ' When the 'dairy farmers realised what the Government was trying to do was to give -them a decent .standard ;«|f Jiying' they ' would support . the Farmers would receive a good priijp- and have one purchaser, and he verititred : to say the members of the Opposition wotfld be falling over themselves to get lit'if it were offered by a private firm. ..: Mr. G. W. Forbes, Leader of the Opposition, urged that the number "of firms handling New Zealand prdduce in Tooley Street should not'be reduced, or others would swing to r|cw Zealand's competitors., It liad to .be* remembered that production was inereasingj and the difficulty was,,to have itVconsumed. • Thisss|i6ve,rn-' ■ment's..taking .over/ tha whole marketing ..was a-great "Weakness and the ...machine that had been 'built up in the .past 50

years should -not be scrapped. . Mr. J. G. Coates (Opp., Kaipara) said the Minister was trying to sell the farmer a pretty -little pup, but the pup would never reach maturity. He twitted the Government members with their silence, and said they were afraid to get up and speak. He spoke of the difficulties the Government would encounter when it came to negotiate trade agreements with Britain, but of one thing they couid be certain; that was : that they would not get a bilateral agreement. New Zealand k-ould net be insulated against the attacks of world conditions. That was a delusion and a mirage. Mr. J. A. Lee (Govt.., Grey Lynn): "We can feed the people in New Zealand." Mr Poison. Mr. Coates said it seemed impossible for New Zealand with 1,500,000 people to raise the price to the dairy farmer to a worthwhile level. It would pile a load upon the wage worker that nobody could calculate. ,Mr. W. J. Poison (Opp., Stratford) said , that when it was realised New Zealand had a single seller they would have a single purchaser, and he could not imagine a position more grave than that.

At 9.15 p.m., after the short title had been under discussion for three hours Mr. Savage moved the closure Tjiis was carried by 51 votes to 20, and the short title was passed by the same margin. On clause 2 Sir Alfred Ransom (Opp., Pahiatua) said the.Bill was divided into three parts, but it should be divided into many parts and scrapped. In discussion of clause 3, dealing with the appointment of a Minister of Marketing, Opposition members fruitlessly tried to ascertain the name of the Minister, and Mr. Poison moved an amendment, the effect of which was that the Minister of Agriculture should be the Minister of Marketing, but the amendment was ruled out of order as the House could not order the Governor-General to do anything. Mr. Bodkin moved an amendment in the same direction which conformed with the standing orders, but the amendment was lost on the voices: v jy An attempt to have the* "Primary Produels Marketing Department under the Minister' of Agriculture was defeated, and the committee passed to clause 5, dealing with the appointment of administrative and other officers. Meat Prices. Clause 6, dealing with the functions of the department, was debated at some length. Mr. Coales said he did not think there was a case anywhere where, without force, had the labour of individuals been commandeered and perhaps confiscated. Meat prices to-day were almost equal to peak prices. Wool prices were still below a payable level, but the meat price balanced that. The dairy, farmer would get nothing out of the Bill,

though the farmer might see something immediately in front of him.. Mr. T. D. Burnett (Opp.,' Temuka) said that if the provisions of the Bill were extended to wool there would almost be a revolution. Mr. Brcaclt'oot moved an amendment with the object of limiting the .functions of the board to the question of control of the market. The Government benches- were almost' empty and several members were sleeping in their seats, byt the ringing of the division bells summoned members again to,the House and the amendment was defeated by 48 votes to 19. Mr. Savage again moved the closure-, which was carried by 51 votes to 19,:fchd the clause was passed by 49 votes to 19. Mr. Poison moved an amendment to clau^vlO^withuthe..'[object !of placing a reasonable,-.limif;,.,on certain borrowing that, might r take place.