COMMERCIAL GARDENS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 59, 12 March 1943, Page 3

COMMERCIAL GARDENS

OPPOSITION APPROVAL OF BILL

(P.A.) Parliament Bldgs., March 11. Opposition approval of the Commercial Gardens Registration Bill was expressed during the second reading debate on the measure.

The Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. J. G. Barclay, vi’io was in charge of the Bill, said the measure was desired not only by gardeners but also by the department. It was intended to do a good deal of planning in the production of vegetables to feed the people in this country and troops, both here and in the Pacific area, and it was necessary to know what acreage there was in commercial gardens. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. S. G. Holland said when the Bill was first introduced he regarded it with suspicion, but after giving it close scrutiny he found his early fears unfounded. The Bill gave no more power over vegetable growers and the distribution of their produce than there was before it was introduced. Under these circumstances the measure seemed reasonable. The Prime Minister said the measure would help to organise the production of vegetables, but if anyone

wrts looking for cheapness in any form of produce they were just looking for something ’that would be impossible. In future, if those who produced were •o get an adequate standard of living, they could not afford to have a sweatedfcmarket in the gardens industry. ■

The Bill passed its second readins and the House was still sitting at 11 p.m.