FARMER’S PRODUCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 188, 12 August 1941, Page 8

FARMER’S PRODUCE

GOVERNMENT PLEDGE NOT I KEPT CHARGE BY MR. POLSON ! REFUTED BY MINISTER OF MARKETING (P.A.) Parliament Bldgs., Aug. 7. Mr. VV. J. Polson (National, Stratford), continuing the debate on the Finance Bill in the House of Representatives to-night, accused the Minister of Marketing, the Hon. J. G. Barclay, of lack of frankness in the handling of farmers' produce. Both the Prime Minister and the Acting Prime Minister, said Mr. Polson, had given a definite pledge of purchase in respect of quantity, and primary producers had been urged to increase the production of stock, butter and cheese. The Minister of Marketing, however, had refused to carry out the Government's pledge and was not undertaking to purchase the normal production of the country. This had aroused strong feeling on the part of farmers throughout the country. Mr. Polson appealed to the Acting Prime Minister to look into the whole question with a view to the Government keeping its word. The Minister of Marketing, the Hon. J. G. Barclay, said that when he had taken over the portfolio of marketing the outlook for meat export was steadily deteriorating, and in March it seemed that they would not be able

to get away half of the meat purchased and carried over from the year before. However, the position had improved considerably since then. The Prime Minister and Minister of Finane had never shirked their obligations to the meat farmers, he saidThe Imperial Government's final purchase of 148,000 tons was better than had been expected, but it still left the New Zealand Government with the liability to purchase 132,000 tons. The Government had guaranteed to purchase that meat. A lot was being processed into cans, but he emphasised that the Government agreed to purchase from the farmers 340,000 tons of meat this year. Despite that Mr. Polson said the Government had not kept its promise to the farmers. If the Government had not been behind that meat farmers there would have been a slump similar to that of 193135. ■•xl’y..