YESTERDAY IN THE HOUSE

Chronicle (Levin), 18 July 1946, Page 6

YESTERDAY IN THE HOUSE

-Press Association

QUITE A LOT SAID ABOUT FARMERS

By Telegrayh-

WELLINGTON, July 17. Although they had refrained from taking part in the debate in the House during the aftornoon, Opposition members again had a contribution to make in the Address-in-Repiy debate tonight. Mr. E. B. K. Gordon (Kangitikei) said that fariners today had no incentive to produce mofe. Farmers' 011 second and third class land were having a difficult time. Mr. Hodgens: Did you see tliein at Awapuni 011 Saturday? Mr. Gordon said the cost of materials "for farm inaintenance had increased beyond reason. Goncrete posts which cost £23 per hundred before the war now cost £33. Staples which formerly cost £1 13s tid per cwt. now cost £3 13s 9d. Galvanised wire netting had riseu from lis per oO-yard strip to £1 12s lOd. Some of our marginal land was going out of production owing to increased costs and this ineant a loss to the nation. Many of the larger farmers in the North Isla'nd td.day wotdd not grow wheat because taxation was too high. The best incentive to the increased production of foodstull's of all kinds would be a substantial reduction in taxation. The farmers had been treated most uufairly in the matter of stabilisation and subsidies. The farmers were jpaying 194(3 costs while receiving only I93S iirices. The farmers had also been penalised iu that they were obliged to coutribute to keepiug down the price of their own produce to consumers vvithin the Dominion. Alr. A. E. Armstrong (Napier) said he had never kuown Mr. Gordon speak in the House without voicing coniplaints. The couutry actually had nevei been more prosperous than today. Rrimary produce both in volunie and value was rising to new rocords, tlianks to the hard work of the farmers and farm workers who had shown their loyalty to the Government. The Government was aware of the need for farmers to overtake arrears of inaintenance which had acciuuukited during the war and as soon as possible would furniah tlie necessary labour and other assistance to euable this essential work Lo be under taken. The Government kuew that if we wero to continue to stcp up food production, farms must be cleaned up. No Government had ever been more apprecialed by thc i'armer than tlie present Govcrnmeiit. Opposition voice: ls that uhyyyou took awav the country quota? Mr. Armstrong said that during the reigu of Labour, the Government had assisted private enterprise in every direction. Wages had been lifted and jobs fuuud for unemployed — tlial was a iillip for private enterprise — and in the iast ten years 25,050 additiynaJ businesses and 1200 factories had been cstablished since Labour had been in office. Was that stilling private enterprise.' he asked. The Government in ihe last ten years had built 57,000 houses — 22,000 of tliem Wlate rental homes — with the cooperation of pri\ ate enterprise. More houses had been built by the Labour Government in ils ten years of office than in a quarter of 11 century when the " old gung" was in power. Mr. J. Acland (Temuka) made a plea for closer cooperation betweeu country and town dweilers who, he said, had the samo interests and the same prob1 lems. Uur primary industry was 0111 1 lirst industry aud 011 it depeuded 0111 j living standards but it was, ridicuious i to suggest that people engaged in primary production were of more value to the country than tliose in other industries. There was, however, urgent need in-the Dominion for decentralisation. Alr. Acland said urbanisation had been encouraged by the !dtate Advances Department which had built insufficient houses in sinai ier centres, and the manpower authorities who had directed iuen io Auckland from provincial towns. .Sniall communities should be able to •buy electric power as clieaply as large cities and cultural activities should be developed to euable people to lead as i'ull a life ia a country town as in a eity. New ZeaJaud today was short of at ieast 5U,U0U workers and thcrui'ore everythiug possible should be done to retaiu workers iu tliose occupatious most essential to the inaintenance of the Doiiiiniun's ecouoiuy. The Government had sonie wouderl'ul schemes for the development of New Zualuiui but there were just not enougli workers to carry out tliese schemes in the nexl ten years. Alr. Acland said there should be three main objects before this country — to help the family in every way, to foster decentraiisatiou of industry, and to encourage people to work aud pro duce goods which were so essential to the country. Tlie people did 110L xvanl to be " bossed into betterment 1ml heJped to happiuess. " ALr. L. Lungstone (Waimarxiui) said that with so many demands upon Bri tain, "a man is living in a veritabie madliouse" if he thoughl he could get wasliing macliiues and steei. Tlie ()[>po sition did not understand the I'unUameutal causes of sliortages. Lverybod\ in New Zealand should go down 011 beiided knees and llmnk Alinighty God j he was privileged to Iive iu lliis country. Thc breakfast table .was fuU and Ihe people were living 011 tlie l'at of tlie land but they were always complaining.