PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 64, 10 December 1918, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

THE HOUSE

i THE MEAT TRUST I MINISTER DISCUSSES ITS DANGERS CONTROL OF WAR FUNDS I { The Legislative Council met at .10.30 ', a.m. yesterday. The following local Bills were put through all stages and pnssed:—New Plyi mouth Harbour Board Empowering Bill, I AVairoa Harbour Board Empowering and ■ Loan Bill, Dunedin City Fish] Markets and Empowering Bill, Thames Borough ! Boundaries Alteration Bill, Napier HarI )jour Board, and Napier High School Empowering Bill, Wharigarei Borough Eni- . powering Bill. • : ' The Hon. AV.:J. Geddis was sworn in as a member of the Council. The Statutes Revision Committee reported that in connection with the Crimes Amendment- Bill, to which an ameiid- : ment had been proposed, it was not prac- ' ticable at this stage of the session to _ give the Bill that full and exhaustive ; consideration which the subject dei. aianded. ! Various amendments to the AVar Legis- ,'• lation Bill were considered by the Council, discussion being confined principally : to clauses dealing with education. : The Hon. J. G. AV. AITKEN said' that the appointment of organising teach- : ers should have been considered long ago. Tho provision in the AVar Legis- ; lation Bill to this end was an excellent : one. In regard to. continuation classes I he felt that the administration of such ' classes could be carried out much more •■satisfactorily by the education boards • than by the Department. ' 1 The Hon. G. M.) THOMSON said ! that the country must take action to educate young people up to at least 17 or even 18 years of age. On this point ! it was a matter of arrangement between and the employees. Women teachers could not enter . into such a • ficherae, as it was really a question 'of : discipline. If they were going to com- ; pulsorily educate young men up to the age of eighteen they would have to em- . plov an amount of compulsion to make ; . certain young fellows attend such classes. • 'The Hon. G."J. GARLAND ' contend,ei that inspectors did not altogether : hold the confidence of teachers. He wel- ■ eomedUhe clause authorising the Depart- > ment- to appoint organising teachers, but ■■ complained that the salary was not high ; enough to attract teachers ■of the rei qiiisite calibre. He thought education \ boards were governed too much by regu- ■ lations of the Department. Organising I teachers should be granted house allow- '■ -The Hon. J. BARR said' he- was , inclined to put more faith in the De- :■ partment than in the boards in conneoUion with, the compulsory clauses of the ; Bill. It was. in favour of compulsion as ■ regarded secondary education. '■ The Council agreed to the amendments iin tho Bill. -~ m . ;.■ The Orari and AVaiht Rivers Bill was '■ put through all stages and passed. i SIR FRINCIS BELL,' speaking to the :.■ second reading of the AVar Funds Bill, 'eaid that it gave to the Attorney-General c power to ask the Supreme Court to ! intervene in the proper administration ! of patriotic and charitable funds. :' The Hon. J. T. PAUL said that he. 'recognised the importance of the Bill. ■ It appeared to him that the trustees of ' patriotic associations were asked to pro- ,' vide a good deal of unnecessary information for ho good purpose. . The Bill was committed, read a third i time, and passed. . SIR FRANCIS BELL, in moving the 6econd reading of the Slaughtering and Inspection Bill, said . that he honestly : believed that it was necessary to give power to guard against the Meat Trust obtaining a footing in New Zealand ,: SIR AA T ALTER BUCHANAN said the 'American Meat Trust now operated in 'all commodities to the detriment of "Doth-'producers' [and consumers. ' AVnere' would New Zealand have been ' had the trust obtained a great hold m ; the Dominion? AVere they to allow the ''trust to establish itself here, and punjsh ,both producer and consumer, as it .had '.punished the consumer in Great Bn- ' tain? It appeared to him that the bo-. I eminent-of New Zealand was powers* : to Prevent the trust obtaining the same : nf the Imperial Government. .I he tamvUJ : field market was largely in the hands o the trust, and though much might be ; Government should have additional power to go into the offices and examine the -books "with a view to finding out under which "thimble the pea was placed. Sir Francis Bell said that under : the Commercial Trusts Act such power • was provided. ,■> The Hon. JOHN BARR was of opinion 'that "the Government should go right I ahead and control the combines in wool- ; lens, boots,, and leather. Then there ' would be something effective done in re- > gard to the cost of living. i' 'The Bill was read a third time and 'passed. At 12.15 p.m. the Council adjourned ; until 10 a.m. to-day.

: , The House of Representatives met at ! 12 noon;. ' ■ ~ ; - .-•The-Law-of Contracts Amendment Bill ' (Mr. -Sidey) was introduced and read a : 'first time. ' ' . : Three Bills dealing with river protec- ; tion works—the Orari and Waihi Rivers ! Jill the Rangitata River Bill, and the \ Wairau Eiver Bill—were v read a second ; time, and thereafter put through remain- : ing stages and passed. / [":■■■. the meatlrust - , A DANGER TO THE COUNTRY. : The Hon. W. D. S. ■. MACDONALD , (Minister of Agriculture) moved that the Slaughtering and Inspection Amendment ; Bill (read a second' time pro forma) be ! committed. Mr. W. NOSWORTHY (Ashburton) said that he hoped the Bill would be ! effective to stop the operations of the :' trust in New Zealand, for the Meat ; Trust was the worst enemy this country could, have. ; 'Mr.' G. HUNTER (Waipawa) said that he looked upon tho Bill as one of the : most important measures that could be ; introduced by the Government during the : present session of Parliament. The Bill was introduced to givo effect to the rc r.'commendations of the Meat Export Trade ,' Committee, which took evidence last year. ! The evidence before : that committee , showed that if the Meat Trust obtained \ a hold in New Zealand it would be a : gjeat evil to the country. . Mr. J. PAYNE (Grey Lynn) said that i New Zealand should fight tho trust by I owning its 'own freezing works, owning ; its own steamers,. and, if necessary, its ■■ own retail shops in Britain. i Mr. J. M'COMBS (Lyttelton) expressed . regret that such a Bill was being intro- ; duced at a period of tho session when ; there was not sufficiont time to denl adequately with it. He welcomed the legis- ' lation and hoped that it would be ade- ■ quate for the purpose for which it was . devised. Mr. W. H. FIELD (Otaki) spoke in ' support.of the Bill, saying that it was of supreme importance that every possible measure should be taken to pre- ■ vent the trust operating in New Zealand. : Mr; C. H. POOLE (Auckland West) said that when the trust succeeded in ' establishing itself it showed no mercy whatever either to growers or consumers of meat. The Minister said that tho Bill was merely the beginning of tho steps that would be necessary in connection with the Meat Trust. During the war period the whole of New Zealand's exportable : surplus of meat had been purchased by ; the Imperial authorities, and there was i no doubt that this awan»e nent had : given the trust an opportunity lo '"strengthen its position in the markets. ' Tho NAw Zealand Government had not I had any real control. Ho believed that I the great majority of the farmers rcajisi ed to-day the importance of protecting > their produce from control by the Meat ! Trust. This trust, it shou.ld bo under- : ptood, was not confining its attention to

meat. It was handling dairy produce, honey, nud other foodstuffs, and endeavouring everywhere to exercise monopolistic control. The report of tho American Commission that had investigated tho operations of the Meat Trust in tho United States and elsewhere, added the Minister, was a document that ought to be read and appreciated by every farmer. The commission stated that Armour and Co., Swift and Co., Morris and Co.. Wilson and Co., and the Cudahy Packing Company, with their subsidiary and alfiliated companies, hold a monopolistic control over the American meat industry, and had secured control similmr in purpose, if not yet in extont, over the principal substitutes for meat, such as eggs, cheese and oils. They were rapidly extending their operations to cover fish and other food products. These companies, known as the "Big Five," controlled moro than half the meat exports of Brazil, Uruguay and tho Argentine, and they had largo interests in Australia. Their power was based not merely on monopolistic control of supplies, but on control of storage and transport. They were in conspiracy to restrict food supplies, control ! prices, defraud producers and consumers, crush competition, and iecure special privileges, lour of the companies in 11)16 and 1017 made profits amounting to over .£35,0(10,000. Mr. Mac Donald said there' could be no doubt that Now Zealand irequired to take active measures to prevent the trust controlling New Zealand prices. He was strongly of opinion that the Dominion was facing a very difficult proposition, and that the co-operation of the j United Kingdom and the United States would bo required in fighting the trust. He believed that it would be found necessary to arrange for shipping and to undertake the distribution of New Zealand meat throughout the United Kingdom and the United States. If the men who formed the trust were allowed to buy New Zealand meat the result would be* disastrous to the producers. Those men had stated already that the amount of produce sent from New Zealand was a small matter to them, and that they could afford to reduce New Zealand prices by at least one-half for a year and still make a good profit on their other undertakings. He thought, it would be necessary to appoint agents in all the consuming' countries to watch New Zealand interests and provide information for the producers of this country. The shipping question was vitally :inportant. There were so many companies engaged in shipbuilding at the present time that he did not believe that anything could be done by New Zealand in the direction of State ownership until the demobilisation of all the armies was complete. Then there probably would be more shipping in the world than was irequired, and it might be possible for New Zealand, either on its own account or by arrangement with some of tho existing companies, to make satisfactory plans for the carriage of its produce. The Bill was a move in the direction that New Zealand would have to go. It was .an indication to the monopolists tha.t they, were not going to have all their own way in this country. Mr. 6. HUNTER (AVaipawa) urged the Minister •to have • the report of the American Commission printed and circulated for the information of farmers in this country. |. The Minister promised to have a reasonable number of copies printed for distribution.When the Bill was in Committee, , Dr. Newman (Wellington East) said he feared the Bill was capable of easy evasion." A local company could transfer its' meat abroad to some outside com-

pany. The transactions would have to lie probed more deeply than was proposed in the Bill. An amendment moved by Mr. Nosworthv (Ash'burton) increasing, tie amounts of the fine from JBtOOO to i2OOO, was accepted by the Minister and adopted. The Bill was put through Committee, read a third time, and pnssed. WAR FUNDS INCREASED STATE CONTROL. The Hon.. G. W. RUSSELL moved the second reading of the War I'unds Amendment Bill. He said that the funds amounted to about £1,500,(100, and the Government considered it necessary to provide for their proper and effective use. The Bill gave the Government power to refer the control of any fund to the Supreme ' Court, which could inquire into charges of mismanagement, and airange for control. A necessary provision prevented the trustees of war funds sending money out of Now Zealand without the authority of the Government. The Bill required trustees to fend information to the Board of Repatriation regarding their activities, in crder to ro-ordin-ate effort. Mr. J. P. LUKE (Wellington North) congratulated the Minister on _ having done excellent work in connection with the funds. . Dr. A. K. NEWMAN (Wellington East) said he viewed the Bill with considerable apprehension. The people v.ho subscribed the patriotic funds had their own ideas as to how the r.oney should be spent. The Minister was taking a great deal of power, and he hoped it would not be proceeded with. The trustees should bo free loMiandle their fluids as they pleaspd, and should not be interfered with by the Government, or Parliament. There had been no mishandling of tlie funds, which had been privately subscribed for particular purnoses. Mr, C. H. POOLE (Auckland West) said be was anxious to prevent any maladministration. But there would bo popular,resentment if the local control of the funds was to be interfered with by tlie Government. It was necessary for the trustees to send some money abroad. Liabilities had been incurred, and must be attended to. Mr. R, P. HUDSON (Motueka) said that some privately-raised funds had done a great deal of good, and it was not desirable that control should be ••entralised. Mr. C. J. TALBOT (Temuka) thought it a pity that the Bill had not been presented early enough to enablo the trustees of war funds to be consulted. The trustees were holding funds with an idea that they would be required for many years. Business men and returned soldiers M'ere on the boards of tousleei, and any interference by the Government should bo undertaken with great discretion. The Minister, in reply, said there was not the slightest desire to interfere with any patriotic society. Bu.t the information before the Government showed that there was need for State action with reference to ono or two funds. ' There would bo no unnecessary Government interference, and tho Act would be administered in full recognition of the great services rendered by the patriotic societies. Tho Minister said ho intended to make suggestions to the patriotic societies regarding the assistance they con id give iirconnection with repatriation. The proposals included financial assistance to soldiers and dependants, allowances to parents in cases of hardship, education of- soldiers and dependants, purchase of land, dwellings, furniture, tools and plant, payment of life insurance premimu'ms, establishment of.soldiers on bee and fruit farms, payment of hospital fees, friendly society fees, hospital, medical, and dental .'fees. These proposals we.ro outside the schemes of tho Government. Tlie Bill was read a second time and put through committee with some small amendments. The Minister was asked for nn explanation of tlie provision preventing the sending of money out of the Dominion by the trustees of a fund. Mr. Russell replied thnt the matter was a delicate one, and lie did not wish to discuss it publicly. The provision would not prevent money being sent to tho soldiers. The Bill was read a third time nud passed. WAR LEGISLATION APPRENTICESHIPS BROKEN BY THE WAR. Amendments to the War Legislation Bill were introduced by Governor-Gen-eral's Message. The PRIME MINISTER said that the Bill provided for fho organisation of teachers and for tho establishment of probationary homes for children. Another clause dealt with apprentices in Government and private employment. Many young men had left thejr apprenticeships in order to go to tho front, and they were now returning. The clauso provided that tho apprenticeship should

be completed without regard to tho period for which the men had been absent. Provision had been niado already for making up tho wages in such cases. Safeguards had been provided with regard to the number of apprentices. Then the Bill dealt with a difficulty that had arisen in Wellington over tho tobacconists' half-holiday. An amendment of the law was made against profiteering, and the Arbitration Court was given power to continue war bonuses. Mr. M'Combs (Lyttelton) protested against legislation being introduced in such a fashion. The amendments were approved. RABBIT NUISANCE The Babbit Nuisance Bill' was committed. Mr.'J. A. Young ('Waikato) urged that the amount of money made available for rabbit destruction under the provision of the Bill was not adequate. Mr. (\. J. Anderson (Mataura) moved to report progress. He said that, he objected strongly to the Bill. The farmers wanted to get rid of the rabbits. But the penalties proposed in the Bill were 100 severe. A man should not bo fined .£IOO for having rabbits on his land when they were being bred freelyi on the neighbouring railway embankment. The Minister of Agriculture (the' Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald) said more drastic rabbit legislation had been asked for from every part of this country. The northern districts did not breed rabbits for export, and there was no doubt that an enormous increase in •die number of rabbits had taken place in some parts of the country. The Stock Department was determined to encourage the breeding of cattle nud sheep as against rabbits. If the Bill was not to be a dead letter there must be drastic provisions. The .reply of tho farmer who was raising rabbits was always that he could not get labour to destroy the vermin. Every precaution would be taken to avoid penalising farmers. Mr. W. D. Stewart (Dunedin West) said there was no excuse for such a hurried method of doin« r business. Legislation was being rushed through the House without members having a chance to consider it or understand it. Mr. W. Nosworthy (Ashburton) said he would support the Minister and the Bill. There would bo no end of the rabbit pest until the Government made it mandatory for everyone to poison rabbits in country where they existed. Where trapping was in vogue there was no doubt that rabbits vere bred for export. •Moreover, stringent measures ought to be taken to ensure tho poisoning of rabbits.. Mr. G. Forbes (Hurunui) said that the Bill had been carefully considered by the Agricultural Committee. Moreover, it was a Bill that was urgently needed, and the House would be quite safe in allowing it to pass. Mr. E. M'Callum (Wairau) said that it was an undoubted fact that rabbits were farmed by trapping. A little money was made by ■ the export of rabbits, but to make a pound a hundred pounds had to be lost.

Mr. E, Scott (Otago Central) said that if the rabbit were eradicated m New Zealand the country would carry a million and a. half more sheep. Mr. C. E. Statham (Dunedin Central) supported the protest against the hurried passage of the Bill. His chief objection was that the Bill would give arbitrary powers to the inspectors, and the farmers, would have no right to appeal to a magistrate. He pointed to one or two absurdities in the measure. Mr. J. A. Young (Waikato) strongly supported the Bill, saying that the rabbit pest would drive small settlers off the land unless they were given the right to form rabbit boards and co-operate to deal with rabbits. / The motion to report progress was de. feated by 44 votes to 15. There was a chorus of protest against Clause 2 of the Bill, the objectionable feature of which was that the sole authority to determine whether a farmer had or had not done enough to clear his land of rabbits was to be file inspector for the Department. Mr. Lee had previously quoted Hansard to show what Sir James Allen had once said about the clause, and Sir James Allen thereupon rose and said that he had not altered his opinion, and that he would vote against the clause. The Hon. G. AV. Russell also expressed disapproval of the clause. The clause was retained by 36 votes to 19. After a long wrangle in committee the Bill was at last pushed through. The third reading was debated for about half an hour, and the Bill was carried after a filial division by 28 votes to !9.

PUBLIC HEALTH ANOTHER NEW BILL. The Public Health Amendment Bill was introduced by Governor-General's Message at 11.30 p.m. Tlie Hon. G. W. KUSSELL (Minister of Public Health)' asked that the Bill be read u second lime pro lorniu, ami referred to a special committee, to report to the Houso at tho earliest immediate huut. lie said thal/tho epidemic had discovered weaknesses in the public health scheme, and it scemod to lira that there should be a now organisation of the Department on a broader basis. 'One object of the Bill was to make a clearer definition of tho responsibilities of tho local bodies and the Government. The first important proposal was to set up a Public Board of Health, to consist of the Inspector-Gene, nil of Hospitals, the Chief Health Officer, the president of the 8.M.A., the Professor of Hygiene at Otago 'University, the Officer in Charge of Local Government in tho State Department, and five other gentlemen to be selected. Had such a board been in existence the epidemic would not have caught the country unprepared. Power was being given to local bodies to establish lodging-houses to provide healthy quarters for the people. Amendments were being made also in the law regarding the demolition of buildings condemned as dangerous to public health. The effect of the changed, was to make quite clear tho right ot city councils to destroy buildings, and to make the councils liable to penalty for failure to do it. The "time limit" was being abolished. •Another clause was designed to keep a register of slum dwellings as well as of other dwellings in order that all tho sanitation of a house might be inspected and kept good. There were slum _ areas in all tho big cities. Tho city councils had wide powers already to deal with slum areas, but these powers were being extended. It was not to be permitted to any person to take in more than five lodgers without getting a license. The reason for this was a strong one. It had happened that in Wellington the greatest mortality was among young people coining from crowded boardinghouses. No person would bo allowed to let a room to more than two persons without a license. Sanitation committees were to be set up, which would do the work, lie hoped, ot tho splendid committees which had worked so well during the epidemic. Important proposals were in the Bill to deal with the medical services, and one of the schemes would be to provide positions for doctors who had lost their practices through going to the war. - Grants may bo made by local bodies to, the Plunkct Society or for tho purpose of establishing bursaries to medical and 'dental students. Ho asked honourable members to receive the Bill with forbearance, recognising _ that it was an attempt to deal with an urgent matter very hurriedly. Tho Bill was rend a second, time pro forma, and referred to the Special Committee.

. LAND LAWS AMENDMENT The Hon. D/ H. GUTHRIE (Minister of Lands) moved the second reading i.f the Land Laws Amendment Bill. Mr. ANDERSON (Mataura) regretted that the Minister had not inserted in tho Bill a provision that would absolutely prevent the aggregation of land. It was a fact that aggregation of a pernicio is character was proceeding, and families were being displaced. Mr. Anderson quoted illustrations of aggregation, and asked for strict enforcement of a residence clause. Mr. AV. T. JENNINGS (Tauuiarunui) also protested against land aggregation. No laud transfer should lie given to any person who had (MO acres of first-class land or 2000 acres of second-class land. The Minister of Lands, in reply, said the Bill dealt simply with one or two matters that required immediate attention. The aggregation clauso did not go as far as some members wished, nor perhaps as ho wished himself. But it would help to stop aggregation.

The earlier Act had given the Government power to resume aggregated laud at the price paid by the purchaser. But experience had shown that owners would pay more than market value for land adjoining their properties. The new clause made the Government valuation plus ten per cent, the basis of purchase of aggregated land. Replying to a question, the Minister said that no land had been acquired under the old clause. Many holdings had been inspected, but none had been bought. When the Bill was in committee, Mr. J. Anstcy (Wnitaki) asked the Minister lo accept an amendment requiring lessees of education leases to fulfil the conditions as to residence mid area required of tenants of ordinary Crown lands. Tho Minister promised to look into the matter. The. Bill was reported with minor amendments and passed. ~ (Lest sitting.)