HOUSE SURPRISED

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 23029, 21 October 1944, Page 4

HOUSE SURPRISED

Division Won By One Vote Breach Of Faith Alleged (N.Z.P.A.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 20. When the amendment moved by Mr A. J. Murdoch (National, Marsden) that the vote of £95,907 for the Internal Marketing Division be reduced was defeated by the unusually narrow margin of 30 votes to 29 in the House this afternoon, there was some surprise among members on both sides of the House. The vote had been discussed all the morning, as well as on Wednesday night, and the Acting-Leader of the House (the Hon. Walter Nash) gave as an explanation of the Government’s small vote that there had been an understanding between the Whips that the vote would be passed by 1 oclock and, consequently, several Government members were absent at a conference being held nearby.

Mr Murdoch said that the former Minister of Agriculture (Mr J. G. Barclay) stated on one occasion that the profits from local butter sales would be credited to the Dairy Board. Mr Murdoch contended that, if the sales on the New Zealand market were credited for the 1943-44 and 1944-45 seasons with an increase in price equal to that which had been granted by Britain for butter purchases from Britain, then the Dairy Industry Account would have to receive an additional £1,432,400 on the sale of approximately 22,000 tons. That was without taking into account the local sales of cheese which, on the same basis, should yield to the Dairy Industry Account another £122,000. Co-operative Organisations Mr Murdoch contended that sales of produce on the internal market would be better controlled by co-operative producer organisations. To get rid of the Internal Marketing Division would be a good riddance as far as the public was concerned. To express an opinion that the marketing of-primary produce should be controlled by producers’ cooperative companies, which had formerly given great satisfaction in the Dominion, he moved a reduction of the vote by £5. When the members returned from the lobbies and the Chairman of Committees (Mr R. McKeen) had announced the result of the division, Mr Nash said that some members were absent at a conference because of an understanding, which had been reached earlier, that the vote should go through by 1 o’clock. Some way would have to be found whereby the members could take one another’s word. Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Waitomo), senior Opposition Whip, said he had made no hard and fast agreement such as Mr Nash had implied was reached. Mr D. W. Coleman (Gisborne), junior Government Whip, said he had consulted at about 12.40 with Mr Broadfoot, who said that the vote would go through at 1 o’clock. Mr R. Holyoake (National, Pahiatua) said that Mr Nash and every member of the House knew that the vote did not in fact go through before 1 o’clpck, and since the resumption there had been as many Government speakers as Opposition. Tire vote would actually have gone through two nights ago, but for the Senior Government Whip delaying it. The fact that the agreement to pass the vote by 1 o’clock to-day—if such an agreement had been made—broke down through the Government as well as the Opposition wishing to discuss it further was no reason for the absence of members from the House that afternoon, said Mr W. J. Polson (National, Stratford). The Opposition would always honour arrangements made between both sides of the House. He was sure that Mr Nash was under a misapprehension in this case. Mr Nash said that, in addition to what Mr Coleman had reported to him, .he had it from another source that, if the questions asked by Mr J. N. Massey (National, Franklin) were answered—and they had been—before lunch, the vote would then be allowed to go through. After further discussion on the matter the vote was passed.