OPERATIONS DEFENDED

Chronicle (Levin), 2 August 1946, Page 8

OPERATIONS DEFENDED

INTERNAL MARKETING DIVlSlON WELLINGTON, August 1. ' It would be fair to say that the Internal Marketing Division was probably the most abused organisation in the Dominion, but he would say emphatically that it had played a magnilieent part in the economy of New Zealand, parr.icuiarly in the war years, said Mr. A. G. Osborne (G.overnment, Onehunga) opening a discussion on the annual report of the division in the House of Representatives last evening. It had protected both proilucer and eonsumer, yet on innumerabJe occasions members of the Opposition liad said tliat everytliing the division haiulled became poorer, scarcer, and dearer. The division had been niade Ihe subject of ill-infornied and iguorant criticism, said Mr. Osborne. " Beferring to oranges, I\fr. Osborne said that evCry orange available was being brought into New Zealand today. At one time it had been possible to obtain oranges in adequate supplv from tlie United States, but not one orange had been imported from that soun-e since th e beginniiig of Ihe war beeause America needed them for its own needs. In pre-war years and in the earlv days of the jv-ar oranges were also available in substantial quantites from Jamaica, but tliey w,ere not available toijay. During the war only about a quarter of the pre-war quantity of oranges had been received, but tlie prices, beeause the division had been the distributing ageney, had been praetieally stabilised, and the fruit had been kept for liospitals, the Plunket Society and the Arnied Forces. Dairy Produce. In regard to dairy produce and butter he tliought that the Internal Marketing Division had done a wonilerful job for the people of New Zealand/ said Mr. C. M. Williams (Government, ! Kaiapoi). There »vas 110 other part of ; tlie British Empire where butter was: distrrbuted to the eonsumer at sueh a 1 narrow margin between what the pro- 1 dueer got aud what the eonsumer paid. Tlie eost of distributing butter was • lower iii New Zealand than in any other part of the eivilised world. People who were attacking the division, he said, were grossly unfair, and were capitalising on a situation which eould not be avoided, and scareities which eould not be avoided. He would challenge the Opposition at any time to debate with him 011 any platform in New Zealand the operations of the division. The division was being attacked most unfairly, not beeause of its vices, but beeause of its virtues. He had lieard members in the House trying to delude the public into believing that the division was wasting tons and tons of good fruit. Every time a few barrowloads of rot ten fruit were put 011 a dump it was held up as an example of inefficiency. JHr. J. A. McL. Roy (National, Clutha) said he had seen in Central Otago hundreds of eases ot' beautiful Cox 's .Orange apples lying rotting on tlie ground under the trees. At the same time papers were reporting that apples were being rationed in Auckland.