IMPERIAL SUPPLIES.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVI, Issue 16355, 3 October 1917, Page 9

IMPERIAL SUPPLIES.

j , " : • - <'*{ "DEPARTMENTAL REPORT., ,;.. bISCUSSED,,BY THE- HOUSE. •. "i" (From^QuxtQwn Correspondent.). ". J "." ~, .WELLINGTON, Oct.' 2.' > Tho production by, Mr Ma,ssey of .. report of the Imperial Supplies .Department cansed a little discussion an the House -regarding the disposal of wool, meat, / and dairy produce. Several members -\veie apprehensive regarding' ' storing of the new season's produce, seeing that large quantities of produce were now in store. Mr Anderson asked for a direct statement regarding cheese. The producers .wanted know whether last season's'-output had, been sold to-'tbe Imperial authorities. 1 'Mr Ma^scy 1 : It' has been sold all , rig nt - I Mr Anderson: Producers -will be relieved to know "that. ~ - , \ i Mr Ngata' suggested that a Minister should have control of supi plies .solely. It waswimpossible' for the Premier to look after the matter He had quite enough to d,o as it was.. Indeed he, thought that, Mr- the? .most occupied man" in! the l Dominion! ' He pleaded for „a 'Special ".Minister 'for' the Department. w .-.■-•---, - w. r vn , < " , agSih ,; broiight under'the 'notice of the Premier tho fact that I butter in America was bringing 2s 2d I a pound. , .When he made that statement a few days ago it was contradicted by some body, of men in Auckland, who apparently knew nothing of the matter. . ,Dr.Thacker corroborated that state.ment, having from personal observation seen butter retailed in Seattle and' Portland at 2s 2d six months' ago. He suggested opening up a market in America. Mr Payne contended that if New I Zealand producers had had the experience of English producers in,'having shipping facilities placed at their disposal, from patriotic motives, there l would be something in the arguments adduced in the House, but they had rto be fair to' producers, and while so 'much, profiteering existed producers were quite entitled to get all they could. He suggested that almost the whole of the difference between prices here and at Home went into the pockets of a ring of speculators in London. He pointed out the following decreases in the volume of ex-, ports between the years 1914 and 1917—W00l 28£ per cent., mutton- 9, lamb'_ 27. butter 18, cheese 11, tallow 16, timber 7. Increases were—Beef 64$ per cent., hides 13, hemp 41. ■ jMr Hindmarsh considered the question of high prices had been put down 'by the Government as insoluble, whereas he thought there was a solution to it. The war had brought death .and disaster to some people, and had brought great wealth toothers. Dr Newman held that the greatest difficulty this country had to face in the future was shortajr© of sliipmng to cope with perishable goods. He advocated sending produce to America, where there wasjittle to be feared from submarines. He advocated the grow-., ing of: lambs into mutton, as the, for-* mer jvere >not ■required now. There, ■was B,ißr, the cmestiqn of saltinE mutton for .disposal in northern America. Mr Massey said .that he was. pleased* ±o hear tha.t members rccQ£riis£g tligj fact that, the New Zealand Govern-,

ment had not been exploiting the Home Government in the supply oi ioqd tor soldiers. He pointed out that every pound of meat which leit New Zealand belonged to the Imperial Grovernmem. He thought that he was quite capable of controlling the Imperial Supplies Department. He was hound to point ou'd that'they had an excellent staff behind them, which was borne out l.y the fact that over seven millions worth of goods had been dealt with,_ and there had mot been a hitch' of any land. There would be a sufficient supply of shipping for this month and November; beyond that he could not go. He had implicit confidence iu the Imperial Shipping Controller, but he could riot give them all they wanted, as ships were required an other parts of the world. He knew that butter had been selling in America'at 2s 2d, and 2s 3d per lb. Regarding the difference in prices mow realised and tho&e ruling in the world, he pointed out that had they not accepted the Imperial Government's offer they \oold not have been able to 'get any of >fcheir produofcs away, and' there | would- have been a slump. He believed there would be sufficient shipping in these waters to take away the whole-of last season's wool clip before, next season's clip came in. Mr Poole contended, that there was plenty of cause for bitterness on the part of producers here when they l new of the extraordinary amount of blood money that was being reaped by nen at.the very heart of the Empire. Mr Anstey disagreed with several members who had spoken from time to time regarding excess prices. The difference between the prices of 1914 ajid 1917,.was ,£4,265,098, and they must remember that, the cost of production had gone up. Dealine: with the quesi tion of meat* "sent Home, ho seated that the system which had obtained of marking meat had now been discontinued. He pointed out that everyone had implicit confidence in the Imperial Eood Controller (Lord Ithondda-). The paper was laid on the table.