PASSAGE SPEEDED UP

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 107, 7 May 1936, Page 8

PASSAGE SPEEDED UP

PRIMARY PRODUCTS BILL APPLICATION OF THE CLOSURE BY GOVERNMENT SURPRISE OPPOSITION AMENDMENT DEFEATED HON HAMILTON URGES FARMERS' PLEBISCITE f Per Press Association. ] WELLINGTON. May 6. .in unexpected development occurred in the House of Representatives shortly after midnight last night, during the progress of the second reading debate on the Primary Products Marketing Bill, when the Hon. A. Hamilton moved an amendment, referring the Bill back to the Government for further consideration. I'p to the time Mr. Hamilton moved his amendment the debate had been carried on in a somewhat lifeless manner. Government and Opposition members sharing the floor. When Mr. Hamilton moved his amendment, however, interest quieked, and it Itecame apparent that the Opposition was putting into effect its determination to register its protest against a measure which it considered was not in the best, interests of the country. Mr. Hamilton's amendment, which was drawn on wide lines, asked that the farmers should be given a chance by plebiscite of approving or disapproving of the principles contained in the Bill. The amendment was under discussion when the House arose shortly after 1 am. The debate was proceeded with this afternoon, when the "gag'’ was applied and the amendment defeated by 52 votes to 20. At. 9.15 p.m., after the short title had been under discussion for three hours, the Prime Minister again moved the closure and the short title was passed by 51 votes to 20. The House, in committee, then <-orridcr?d the various clauses of the Bill.

DAIRY INDUSTRY CONTROL OF MARKETING I i STAND BY OPPOSITION • Per Pre®* Association. • WELLINGTON, May 6. ’ This afternoon the House proceeded . with the second reading debate on the * Primary Products Marketing Bill and , the amendment moved by Mr. Harnil ; ( ton. Urgency was accorded the pass- | mg of the measure. Mr. W. J. Polson (Opp.. Stratford) |- said the farmers desired to retain con- ; trol of the marketirg cf the*r own j | products. '_ney also derired to try i out new markets and considered it | could not be done so satisfactorily by j the Government. The Bill was a crude | and unstudied plan and showed evi det v( of failure on the face, of it an<i I 1 it was obvious what would happen not 1 I only to the farmer but rhe Governmeu* ’ ’hat put it into operation. He claimed j 1 that the Gove.nm’en* wis ignorant of p the feeling of the Tooley Street nier- ; ’ chants, who would not tell the Govern-i ment exact’y what they thought, but I t when the biter reached the London I markets difficulties would arise. I Mr. R. A. Wright (Independent. { r Wellington Suburbs) thought a Bill of j I such a far-reaching nature should have p an amendment such as had been i ‘ ino' ed. P The majority of the electors did ■ ' not have the Government’s policy | c explained to them and they only now learning what was. meant. I I The Bid introduced new and tried. • principles and he would join issue i t with any member who said the Bill: 1 would eliminate the fluctuations in' 1 the export price of primaly pfj • ducts. The price was governed bv , I supply and demand and it was 1m ‘ possible to fix the price as far as! l Britain was concerned. The people had not understood how j ’ rhe Government proposed to deal wiij i 1 dairy product* and how the Govern j ment intended to make up :wy de’i j : r efi'-v that arose through rhe han Hing i ut that [ »o«i ag 1 lor that reason hD plebiscite of the people, not tbej l farmers only, should be taken. He I ( thought tha< many farmers tvera re- I sponsible for tiieir own plight through | ’ speculation in land wneu i:kih v. e c ' good 1 ’ Pnnie Minister'? Move i 1 The Prime Minister, Hon. M. .I.!« Savage, at this stage moved that tfce i question be now put amid a demon-p •tration* of the OppoMi.ou from ibe! i other side of the House. h The Speaker explained the pos’.i'.ox I i of the application of the eid.M*r» and ’ SA’d he could not regard the motion '' as an abuse of the rights of the House, I as the second reading debate already i had occupied five sittings nor was th* ’ motion an infringement of the righi? 1 of the minority, as since, the ame d- 1 ment bad been moved a'most all the previous speakers had again spoken ’ and those who h».< nor -poker ha.'.] allowed other? to precede them. He ;> therefore proposed to put the motion. ' A division was called for and thei* motion was carried by 50 votes io 2'?. | A division was also called for when i" the question put an i rhe amend j' meat was defeated by 5£ votes to 20. I The motion fo- the second reading I' Mas aho challenged but was carried by “ 52 to 20 and the House went into com !' miner to consider tne BUI. On the title Boe. G. W. Forbes j said that a number of members considered that half a>. Nour was not suffi- : • lent to say all they wanted to say. I, That was why they had desired to speak on the amendment. Mr. Dickie’s Protest Ml H. G. Dickie Patea; protested against the way the Bill was being rushed through. The Dairy Control Board and other boards would be shorn of their powers and he thought the producers would streou I ously oppose that. Be asked the Gov-| eminent to hold the Bill over till the J dairy farmers had an opportunity of j learning definitely what was happen- I ing. A wrangle developed oxer question whether or not Mr. iDickie had asked the Prime Minister in a telephone conversation on Sunday morning to defer consideration of tbs Bill for * week. Mr. Dickie said he did so at the request of the Federated Factories, of Taranaki. Savage was as positive that no; itica request was made.

Mr s G Smiih tUpp., New Plymouth; said that obviously some mistake had been made and be asked lot Minister in charge of the Bill to postpone consideration of the Bill to give ihe dairy farmers an opportunity of studying the measute and to learn how their interests would be affected. The Bill did not come, into effect till August 1. A week or a fortnigal would make no difference. Mr. Dickie supported the request as also did Mr. C. A. Wilkinson i Independent, Egmont). who said the Bill was the most important measure intro dneed into Parliament since he had been a member. The trouble that faced the farmer was not, the inarke ing of his produce but tha high pr: e of land and high mortga »es on la till. Hp asked rhe Government 1o seek the co-operation of the dairy farmers. Minister Repu ,*s Hon. W. Nash said the Bill was a marketing measure, nut a farming one. In the past the farmer had been the victim of 1 be firms, who could do what they liked with him. The hurry with the Bill was due to the Opposition as the Government desired to ha . e ihe second reading debate continued till tonight, when the Leader of the Opposition and then he nim elf would have had an opportunity ro have their remarks broadcast. lie thong it that possibly the Oppositiop *rl the Government's case wou«d have b< t u sirengrhened by th- bread:ast, ?o he blocked it. He claimed that l.c Bill went before the eleriors befe.i the election. A total of s’.(iGo pamphlets had been circulated to tn.’ir.ci' aud the Bill hail been before th; House more than a week. He explained other steps that had been taken io acquaint the farmers with the provisions of the When the House retimed at 7.30 p.m. in committee, Mr \V. A. Bodkin i Opp.. Central Otago; said it seemed that because some fauncr- re in the hands of speculators all deci nt farmers were to be thrown to the wolves. He thought it would have been more prudent if the Government bai allied itself with the solvent farmer Mr K. J. Holyoake (Opp., MoXueka) said he believed that even th? Government members did not real'se the wide powers given and taken unt’er the Bill. He thought the Bill migut be called ihe Primary Products Dictatorship as it gave lire Minister absolutely dictatorial powers over the Itilustrv The Bill cut right across traditional British lights, which had been won in bitter snuggles over centuries. Mr W. .1. Broadfoot (Opp.. Waitonio) wondered if the Minister were going io lake in hand the shipping problem on the •coa-st of Now Zealand. He thought the overseas vesse.s were too 'ong on the New Zealand coast. The Dili w:i- certainly a marketing measure but be to the farmers being treated I .e children. He considered that the directors of the dairy factories. with lite times of expedience, could make a better job ef the marketing than any depaitment of State. He thought the farmers would be disappointed when they were told what the guaranteed price was going to be. He contended that the work or the House should not be. affected by broadcasting. If broadcasting was going io interfere •with the work of the House it should be cut out. Mr Nash said thar regulations made under a Bill had to be aopioved by .Parliament within 28 days if the House were sitting or wi hin 28 days of the opening of Parliament. • A Good Price - ' Mr Nash thought that when the dairy farmer realised that what the Government was trying to do was to give him a decent standard of living, they would support the Government. The farmer would get a go< i d price and have one' purchaser, and he ventured to say that the members of the Opposition would be falling over themselves to get it if it were offered by a private firm. Mr Forbes urged that the number of Anns handling New Zealand produce in Tooley Street should not be reduced, or others would swing to New Zealand’s competitors. It had to be remembered that production was increasing and the difficulty was to have it consumed. The Government’s taking over the whole of the marketing was a great weakness and the machine that had been built up over the last 50 years should not be scrapped. Hon. J. G. Coates said the Minister was trying to sell the farmer a pretty little pup. but the pnp would never reach maturity. He twirled the Gov-

■eminent members with their silence ami jisaid they were afraid to s<et up and p’peak. He spoke of the difficulties the Government would encounter when they came to negotiate trade agreements with Britain. But of one ’king they could be certain: That, was they would jnot get a bilateral agreement. New • .Zealand could not be insulated against the attacks of world conditions. That was a delusion and a mirage. I Hon. ,l. A. Lee: We can feed the ;people in New Zealand. I Mr Coates said it seemed impossible for New Zealand with a mi’Uon and a-half people, to raise the price to the dairv farmer to a worthwhile level. It. would pile a load upon the wage worker that nobody could calculate. Air. Polson said that when it was realised that New Zealand had a single seller they would have r single purchaser and he could not imagine a position more grave than that. Short Title Carried i At 9.15 p.m.. after the short title hart !been under discussion for three hours. lAlr Savage moved the closure. This was •carried by 51 votes to 20 and the short title was passed bv 51 to 20. On Clause 2 Sir Alfred Ransom said the Bill was divided into three parts, but it should be divided into many parts and scrapped. Coming to Clause 3 dealing with the appointment of a Minister of Marketing, the Opposition members fruitlessiv tried to ascertain the name of the Minister and Mr. Polson moved an amendment the effect of which was that the Minister of Agriculture should be the Minister of Marketing, but the amendment was ruled out of order as the House could not order the Gov-ernor-General to do anything. Mr. Bodkin moved an amendment in the same direction which conformed to the Standing Orders, but the amendment was lost on the voices. An attempt to have the Primary Products Afarketing Department under the Minister of Agriculture was defeated, and the committee passed to Clause 5 dealing with the appointment of administrative and other officers. (Proceeding.)