PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 23377, 21 September 1939, Page 15

PARLIAMENT

MEAT PRICE FIXATION BASIS OF SEPTEMBER MARKET FAIRNESS CHALLENGED ‘ [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, September 20. In an urgent question to the Minister of Marketing, Mr Coates asked whether it were the Government’s Intention to fix meat prices on values received at the sales and markets on September 1 last; whether stock auctioneers were notified by the Director of Marketing that any values received at auction above the prices realised on September 1 were to be retained and handed over to the Government, and, if so, did the Director of Marketing inform stock and station agents that failure to comply with the notice would be followed by immediate action and the business concerns so failing would be put out of business ?

Mr Sullivan, replying as Minister of Supply, said it was the Government’s intention to see that the maximum prices for moat did not exceed those charged as at September 1. The Director of Marketing had notified stock and station auctioneers of the fact, and they were advised that if they had exceeded these prices the amounts charged in excess of September 1 rates were to be refunded to purchasers. The Food Controller had made no statement to the effect that stock and station agents would be ’put out of business. Speaking on the second reading of the Appropriation Bill, Mr Poison said the rumours were that farmers were being squeezed white so far as prices for primary produce were concerned. He hoped the Government would realise that the Dominion’s economy demanded that at least a price should be paid for export production. The only man unable to pass, on the rise in costs was the farmer.

The Minister of Supply, Mr Sullivan, said that the honourable member for Stratford appeared to be not onlyignorant of the situation, hut he did_ not seen! to show any desire to be enlightened. His main objective appeared to be to make political capital out of the situation. The Minister continued that he was constantly receiving communications from farmers _ and stock and station agents, offering co-operation with the Government in overcoming the difficulties with which it was faced. Ho compared these, offers with what ho termed to be the blatant attitude of the honourable member for Stratford. If the latter would give the same cooperation as had been offered by the farmers, the Minister said, he would be quite satisfied. All he wanted from Mr Poison was the same co-operation as that offered, among others, by the president of the Farmers’ Union himself. The Government was not going to exploit the people of the United Kingdom. or permit exploitation of the people of the Dominion. Mr Cohbe said he saw no reason for a display of temper. Past history had shown that the farmers were just as ready to do - their duty as anyone else in the Dominion. This looked very much like an attack on the farming industry. . Arrangements . were being made behind the backs of the farmers, aud hq.questioned whether the two pen on the Tribunal had sufficient information about these prices. Mr Roberts denied that the Minister had attacked the farming community, and said it was the member for Stratford who had stepped off on the wrong foot. Mr Holland contended that the Minister’s strongly-worded attack on Mr Poison was unjustified. There was no section of the community that was going to contribute more to the solution of a very great problem than the farmers, and their representatives had a perfect right to express their views on the Government’s policy. The Opposition was well within its rights in calling attention to injustices. The Acting Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, warned the House and the country that if the war continued everyone must expect to make an equal sacrifice. Civilians must not expect the men who were serving in the forces to be the only ones to make 1 sacrifices towards the defence of the country. The forcing up of prices to the point of exploitation would not be tolerated. Mr Poison: The farmers will he 100 | per cent, there in nipping exploitation in the bud. Mr Fraser: If 'there are injustices adjustments will have to be made. NO STAR CHAMBER. Mr Barclay denied that “ Star Chamber ” methods had been adopted in fixing the prides of meat at those ruling on September 1. All interests had been consulted, and the question had been thoroughly discussed before a decision had been reached. It was not the Government’s intention to injure the farmers, the stock and station agents, or anv other section of the community. The fixing of prices would give the farmers a guaranteed price for their meat throughout the summer, and instead of being harmful would actually do quite a deal of good. He suggested that the Government should make farming a key industry and give exemption from military service to those working on the land. , Mr Wilkinson said everyone would be of one mind concerning profiteering, and he welcomed the statement by the acting Leader of the Government regarding the Administration’s attitude towards the subject. However, he would stress the danger of fixing the prices of commodities without first thoroughly investigating costs, which fluctuated day by day. It would create a great hardship arbitrarily to fix prices at those ruling on September 1, in view of this cost fluctuation. The Minister of Finance, Air Nash: That was never intended. The price fixing is intended to apply only to stocks on the land on .September 1. Mr Lee emphasised the necessity for common sense and steadiness in. dealing with war situations. If by reducing wages to 2s we would _ win the war, New Zealand and Britain would do it overnight. But such action would disrupt the economic life of the country. He could not see the end of this war, he said, but no one had been able to see, the end of the last war. Mr Carr: Was there any end to it. Mr Lee; Probably not, but tbere was a thing that was worse than war, and that was the prison house oEFascism. To defend ourselves from it we might have to send men to the ends of the earth. ,

Replying to the debate, the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, said the policy of the Government should be—no profiteering of any kind whatever. It had been said during the discussion by one member of the Opposition that there should be no undue profiteering, but that was a policy akin to the one which had led to many difficulties during the last war. Extra care must be taken

in fixing the prices of all commodities. He would admit that it was a tricky thing to do. It - was next door to impossible for any tribunal to secure equity for any article, but the Minister of Supply had gone as far as possible to come to a fair conclusion. There were differences of opinion as to what was reasonable, but he was satisfied nobody could have done the job better than the Minister of Supply, who had gone out of his way to see that everybody had a chance to state his case when the price was to be determined. Mr Sullivan, contended Mr Nash, had been justified in expressing indignation ■at what had been said in earlier stages of the debate, when he had been accused of adopting “ star chamber ” That was not fair criticism. The Minister had done everything possible to see that the farmer received a -fair price and that the soldier-was, not exploited. As 1 the war continued it would take a tremendous effort to prevent those with the exploiting mind taking advantage of the position because the breadwinners had gone overseas. The Minister stressed the difficult}’ in placing a price on livestock. Turning to the question of recruiting, Mr Nash said some men would be allowed to join up, but others would have to remain behind in essential industries. The supreme objective was to see how best New Zealand could help. When Mr Sullivan had fixed the month of September as the basis for the meat prices, he had selected a period when fairly high prices were ruling, and injustice had not been done, as had been suggested. The price of commodities would be fixed in a scientific way, ho continued, and a new spirit had to bo faced. In the circumstances existing to-day, the principle to be followed should be one of non-exploita-tion. The Government was trying to work out some procedure whereby all would be on the soldiers’ basis. That could be done, not by cutting everybody’s income, but on the basis of national service. Mr Lee: Why not bring the soldier np to the average income? _ Mr Nash: “ That is a_ leading question which might be discussed some other time.” They should try to find a way without adding to the national debt, whereby everybody giving national service would he placed on a common footing. BILL PASSES. The Bill passed its second reading, and when in the committee stage Mr Fraser supported Mr Nash’s contention regarding the fairness with which Mr Sullivan had dealt with the situation. No one had been more industrious or fair, he said, and a tremendous burden of responsibility had fallen on his shoulders. He had endeavoured to consult all parties concerned, and there had been nothing in the nature of “ star chamber ” methods in his action. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Hamilton, said that, despite a little heat which had crept into the debate, the Opposition wished to give the fullest co-operation to the Government. He thought that some of the criticism which had been levelled at the Minister was due to his own fault, hut ho wished to assure him that the Opposition was willing and ready to offer its co-operation. Mr Poison said that as the member chiefly implicated, he wished to say he was more than delighted to hear the statement by the Acting Leader of the Government that everyone would receive fair play. The Minister had said that he (Mr Poison) could take criticism, and he felt sure that Mr Sullivan could take it too. They were now progressing in the spirit of sweet reasonableness, and he wished to assure the Minister of the Opposition’s cooperation. Mr Kyle said that returned soldiers who were doing guard duty had asked for discharge because the rates of pay would not meet their commitments. He understood these men could not be discharged, but he stressed the fact that the rates of pay had been announced after they had been called up. and he urged that their position should receive some consideration. He also complained of the allotment forms for the wives of men called up, adding that the wives of these men had been without income for two and a-half weeks. The hours of duty were also severe, and he heard of one man being put on the carpet because he was found with his hoots off during his spell off duty. The Bill passed the final stages and the House adjourned at 10.25 p.m.

must be said that tremendous advances Lave been made in ultra-microscopic lenses, which help us to see into the abyss of the heavenly spaces. TEN YEARS TO MAKE. The latest addition to . telescopic achievement was, *he continued, the still unfinished giant . being prepared for the Californian Institute of Technology. This great reflector had already been almost nine years in the making, and it was JiKeiy to take another year or so before it would reveal to astronomers turtner wonders of space. Those entrusted with the task of constructing this wonderful instrument were involved in many attempts and experiments until. a new type of glass was found. This glass of extreme toughness and low expansion was really a certain refinement or the well-known pyrex. The reflecting telescope was comparatively new in tne field of science, and for centuries ni. used the refractor telescope. The reflecting type captured light fro ™ that could not he otherwise biought within the vision of man, ... “The new 200-inch telescope will mark an enormous advance in our knowledge of the cosmos, Mr Ande son said, * and it will possibly, enable data to be secured for conclusions oeyond our wildest speculations. It certainly was a most courageous and enterprising feat to tackle the construction of a 200-inch disc. Hitherto the ratio of increase in size lias been something in the order of 24, 30, 48. 60. 70, and 100 inches, the last being the great Hooker telescope at tho Mount Wilso Observatory in California. This new telescope is an attempt to double the size, an undertaking much moro dimcult than may appear from the statem™Tho first disc cast of the new py rex saw the light of day in. March, 1934, but in the pouring certain of the lugs broke loose from the bottom of tne bowl and floated! on the surface of the bubbling, liquid glass. As perfection is tho first law in tho work of this nature, it had to he discarded and another one attempted. This second product was successfully cast in -December, -UMo. and! is the most expensive and most perfect sheet of glass in the world. COSTLY INSTRUMENT.

The idea of a 200 in telescope first bore fruit in 1928, when it was decided to proceed with the work of erecting such an instrument, which, all told, would cost about 6,000,000d01. After the disc had! been,cast it was taken to Pasadena, where a . specially-erected optical shop had been in readiness since 1933. The grinding and figuring were 'commenced at once. The disc was first shaped on the front, back, and) edges by grinding with coarse carborundum, and the centre was then hollowed out to a depth of about 3fin with the aid, first, of a 50in tool and then of successively larger tools up to the full size of 200 in. Optical tests proved most satisfactory. The grinding necessary to convert the figure from the spherical into the parabolic curve was at present in progress, and this involved a deepening of .005 in. So far the grinding had involved the use of about CO tons of carborundum, the' removal, of five tons of glass, and the use in polishing of 501 bof rouge per hour. One of the biggest jobs at present, was the figuring of an elliptical flat 36in by 53in for use in the completed telescope. The huge dome, 137 ft in diameter, had been finished! for some time, and the erection of the mounting was now in progress with the help of a 60-ton crane. The glass would he coated on its upper surface with aluminium instead of the usual silver as a backing for mirrors. “ Some idea of the immense magnification- that will be obtained by this mirror can be given by comparison with the human eye,” Mr Anderson said. “ The pupil of the eye when dilated , has a diameter of about a third of an inch or an area of about oneninth of a square inch. The mirror will have an area of 360.000 times that of the human eye, and, therefore, it should be able to reveal stars 360,000 times as dim as the ones the unaided eye can see. This - would mean the revealing of a star of about the twenty-fourth magnitude, corresponding in apparent luminosity to the light of a candle at a distance of apjiroximately 24,000 miles.” SOLVING MANY MYSTERIES, Dr Edwin Hubble’s announcement that the mysterious, wispy nebula) appearing among the stars were actually not among the stars hut vast island universes, separate and distinct from the galactic bodies, expanded the human concept of interspatial distances to illimitable proportions. By studying these vast interspatial island universes astronomers hoped to learn whether the universe was expanding, and they theorised that it was. This and other speculations, it was hoped, would be verified or not by the new telescope. It would seem that man was destined to solve within the next 25 years or so many mysteries that had baffled him since he first appeared on the earth. “All this work is not out of mere curiosity,” Mr Anderson said, “ for it is the only way by which scientists may arrive at some conclusion regarding the structure of the universe, of which our system forms such an infinitesimal part. By means of this gigantic mirror our knowledge of our neighbouring planets and of the more distant stars and nebula) will ho vastly accelerated in scope and accuracy of detail. And this, after all, will represent only a tiny step forward in the potentialities of astronomical science.” Interest was added to the address by some projections from the epidiascope, showing pictures of giant telescopes in use at the present time, including the 40in Yerkes refractor and the lOOin Hooker reflector. Photographs were also shown of the new 200 in mirror, and how it will appear when mounted in the observatory on Mount PaJomar, in Southern California.