MINISTER MIS-REPORTED.

Wairarapa Age, 5 January 1926, Page 2

MINISTER MIS-REPORTED.

NOT OPPOSED TO “ABSOLUTE

'CONTROL.” ■ The remarks made by the Hon. W. ! Nosworthy to the that waited upon the Prime Minister and hiinself at New Plymouth last -week conveyed to the members of the deputation and to the representatives of the press that his enthusiasm for absolute control h&d considerably weak- ; ened and he was reported in the newspapers accordingly. But -when interviewed by a representative of “The ' Weekly Press” upon his return from the South last week, he emphatically ‘ disclaimed the words attributed to , him. What he shid, he averred, had ' been utterly distorted, and, he feared, wilfully distorted. He 'rarely read the papers. They were not helpful and h,e did not care two straws whaj ; they said about himself. But on his j why South, two after the deputation at New Plymouth, he read a leader in the “Post” in’which, it was stated that “Mr Nosworthy, the staunchest among Ministers for compulsory control, admittcj at New Plymouth that absolute control had better stand over.” He realised at onde that the “Post” had been trapped like a number of other papers had been by interested people, but he did not think it his business to set the right. If he worried himself aboiK things of that sort he would have no time left for his job. He never had said it was not his intention to bring* the compulsory control | clause into operation, and he never had said or implied that it would bo better to let control stand over for a while. He absolutely repudiated the words that had been put into his mouth.

SUH Believes in Control.

Having reXerated his opinion of the individuals and organisations and papers he knew to have misinterpreted him in this and many other matters, Mr Nosworthy went on to say that the happenings of the last few months had confirmed him: in his belief Jhat “absolute control,” which meant organisation and regulation, was essential to the continued development and prosperity of the country’s primary industries. Unless the farmers looked after their own interests they never would reap the Just reward of their labours. That fact was being demonstrated daily all over the country., He had no objection to the ward system of election—it might be the very best .system that could be devised—but it was for the producers themselves’ to decide how thej- would carry on their own business. As for compulsion, the Government had no powelr to veto the determination of the Board to take charge of dairy produce intended, for export as from August 1 next, and the election of one membbr frojft the South Island and two, from the Norlh Island next year was not likely to affect the settled policy of the Board. He was expressing his own personal views on these subjects, as he had conferred with none of his colleagues, but ho thought he might safely assume that Cabinet would follow constitutional methods. .