DAIRY MARKETING DEBATE

Chronicle (Levin), 23 July 1947, Page 6

DAIRY MARKETING DEBATE

■Press Association

FOUR REASONS WHY BILL IS WELCOMED

By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, July 22. There were four groundS on which the Dairy Marketing Commission JBili was welcomed hy the Opposition, saia Mr. K. J. Holyoake, resuming the second reading debate in the House oi flepresentatives tonight. He said the Bill offered partial restoratioh of some of the powers iilched from the dairy mdustry some years ago, it was a vindication of the Opposition 's and dairy industry 's fight to regain those powers, it offered some proofvof the Government 's retreat from socialism, and it somewhat limited, although ifc did not end, the dictatorship exercisea by the Minister of Finance over the dairy industry. Mr. Holyoake said he liopecl the principles of the Bill would be applied to the fruit industry. For Government speakers to elaim that the guaranteed price had saved the dairy farmei's from bankruptcy, was sheer, unadulterated nonsense. Certain arnendnients should be made to the Bill even at this stage, to give the dairy industry its inherent riglits to control its own affairs subject only to minimum Government representation on the commission. Mr. II. E. McCombs (Onslow) said if the Opposition were to achieve 'the Treasury benches there was not a single member of their party who would be prepared to advocate a guaranteed price for farmers based on a iive-day -10-hour week and it was therefore ridiculous l'or the Opposition to chide the Government for not giving an undertaking of that nature. There had been many attacks on the Minister of Finance concerning the administration of the guaranteed price but the Minister had always been of the opinion that the guaranteed • price should be ftxed by a tribunaf of the type he advocated at the 1938 dairy eonferenco. Mr. Algie: Then wliy didn't.lie put it in the 193(5 Bill? Mr. McCombs: He was not the wholo Government. Mr. McCombs said there had been suggestions by the farmers and from the Opposition that New Zealand cur rency was "watered" and that the farmers would prefer direct sterling paymeuts but the truth was that the New Zealand pound had more purchasing power in New Zealand today than the pound sterling liad in England. The Bill was desigried to continue the4 systeni of tlie guaranteed price in this eountrv and wouhl maintain for the farmers stability of income which tliey reallv needed. It was the answer to the farmer 's prayer. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Waitomo) said the Bill controlled the regulated re wards of the dairy far .ers and his standard of living. The Opposition had alvvavs stood for producer control but the Bill did not give the industry that. lle considered the dairy councils had agreed with the Bill because tliey had no option and lialf a lo.af was better than none at all. It was just plain mockery to say the Bill was divorccd from politics. Mr. Broadfoot said the effect of the Bill wOuld be to lower the standard of living for the farmer1 compared witli thht ehjoyed by other sections of the comniunity. Mr.' Xordmeyer said that despite the fact that the Bill had been approvejd by the dairy industry, the Opposition gave it onlv their grudging and qualilied support. The reaso'n was that the Bill was actually unpopular and unpalatable to the Opposition bceause it removed the guaranteed price from the sphere of party politics and the Opposition in future would be unable to mahe political football of the guaranteed price. It was ridiculous to pretend that the farmer ever had complete control over the disposal oi' his produce and the Bill. would give hira as niuch control over the marketing of his produce as the farmer reallv wanted. Ilon. II. G. R. Mason said he agreed that the Bill was a milestone in the development of the industry. Mr. Algie:. Did the Minister say milestone or millstone? Mr. Mason said liere was a Bill which the industry. wanted and the Opposition would not oppose it. Yet here thev were very half-hearted in tlieii support of it. The debate was interrupted by the adjournment at 10.30 p.m. The Ilouse will resume at 2.3)0 tomorrow.