ZONING SYSTEM

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20887, 17 November 1937, Page 8

ZONING SYSTEM

DISSATISFACTION ALLEGED (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, November 16. The actions of the Executive Commission of Agriculture in zoning suppliers of certain dairy factories were the subject of a certain amount of criticism during the discussion on the Estimates of the Agriculture Department in the House of Representatives to-day. The matter was raised by Mr T. D. Burnett (Nationalist, Temuka) who said considerable dissatisfaction had been caused by the zoning arrangements in the Ashburton district. Suppliers to dairy factories which were closed down had suffered a distinct disadvantage.

“I want to support the protest made by the Member for Temuka,” said Mr S. G. Smith (Nationalist, New Plymouth). “There is dissatisfaction and alarm in various parts of the country.” The Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin: I have not heard of it. “Dissatisfaction is there,” said Mr Smith. “This Government cannot stand criticism, so it attempts to stifle it. By doing that It merely drives the criticism underground. If the Minister went out in the country Instead of sitting in his office he would soon hear of these complaints.”

The Minister: And you would be the first one to complain about my travelling expenses.

“I have never complained about a Minister going round the country to find out things for himself," said Mr Smith. “The trouble is that most Ministers stick to their rooms and listen to the views only of their officers and people on their own side.”