MINISTERS AT PALMERSTON

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16467, 20 June 1919, Page 3

MINISTERS AT PALMERSTON

SOME HOME TRUTHS. Per- Press Association. PALMERSTON N., June 20. Speaking at the A. and P. Assoolation’s smoke concert last night Sir James Allen, in urging that a strong Government -was needed, asserted that the times ahead of us were momentous and as serious as those fhrough which we had just passed. There must be a little more give and take. Referring to the problem of industrial unrest the Minister said that if they were to. have a chaotic stale of things with the balance of power in the hands of one section) of the people only, then goodness only knows what would happen during the next four years. He hoped whatever Government was elected they would be courageous enough to find out the right path and unhesitatingly stick to it;

Sir Juries Allen also pointed out that the New Zealand. Parliament had a good name for honesty of purpose arid he did not think any other country had put up the record that the Dominion had within the last four or fivd years with regard to finance. In otherj countries there had been many scandals with regard to finance. The Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald referred to remarks made at the National Dairy Association’s Conference, regarding; .the treatment the butter producers had received from the Government. He said the Government was not antagonistic to any one section of the people, but, was anxious to do its best for the great majority. He had no objection.'.to'criticism, but had a rooted objection; to lying and some of . the criticism levelled at the Government, was .very much of that- nature. At the conference .two gentlemen fjjjm his electorate stated that there had been commandeered produce. , Thera never had been suoh, a thing in the Dominion, but a satisfactory arrangement was made with • the farmers in which the latter concurred. A statement was also made that England was treating New Zealand as an alien and extorting undue profits from her. This statement was contrary to fact. Those, who asked that the arrangement for the Imperial Government to purchase butter should he terminated could hardly be aware of the . fact that the same body of which they were members asked that the arrangements to requisition produce be continued during the period of the war and twelve months afterwards. .At the present moment over seven million carcases of mutton were in store on which the Home Government had advanced 75 per cent, of tho value besides paying storage and insurance.

Sir James Allen and the speaker had communicated with Mr. Massey, who had arranged with the Imperial Government to take over the supplies absolutely and they advanced a largo sura of money on them without interest. Their action practically saved the country from bankruptcy and enabled it to do its share in helping ,to win the war.