PRICE CONTROL AND FARMER

Evening Star, Issue 23377, 21 September 1939, Page 17

PRICE CONTROL AND FARMER

QUARREL IN HOUSE MT A CLASS EXEMPT'FROM CONTROL “ LIVE AT SAME RATE AS SOLDIERS " [fBOJI Ouu I’AHUAIIIiXTAIIV lllil'OßTEll.] WELLINGTON, September 20. The position of the farmer, in relation to price control during the war was a point around which some angry exchanges were made during the debate on the Appropriation Rill in the House. Th« principal participants were the member for Stratford, Mr Poison, and the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr Sullivan. It was alleged by Mr Poison i that , the Government’s policy had thrown farming economy completely out of balance, and that the ■ituatkm as disclosed by a measure authorising the spending of £72,000,000 was almost Gilbertian. “ I do nof know,” ho continued, 1“ Whether the Minister responsible is related to tfce Sullivan of Gilbert and Bullivan fame,” , , Mr (Holland (National, Christchurch North) VHe is a partner, Mr Poison : The Minister has been a partner m the most grotesque burlesque we have’ever seen in this country. Mr Sullivan: If you are going to be rud)e, I will be rude, too. _ Mr Poison: He loses his temper at the slightest provocation. If he wants to “ mix it ” with me he can have it willingly. Mr Speaker: The House must remember ghat I will have something to say on that question. ' Mr Poison: A threat has been thrown across the floor at me by the Minister, Mr Speaker; You have no right to talk about. “ mixing it ” with the Minister.

Mr Poison replied that he did_ bo under provocation. He was only anxious to see that the farmer got a fair deal, no more and no less. Nobody should make money out of the war. Government Members : They did so last time, Mr Poison: The farmer did not make money out of the last war. Some of them were poorer after the war than before.

Mr Richards (Government, Roskill): That is not true in the aggregate. Mr Poison added that be had heard rumours that the farmers were to be “ squeezed white ” as far as the prices of their produce were concerned. He had _ heard remarks attributed to. the Minister, and hoped they were untrne. He hoped the Government would realise that the economy of New Zealand demanded that at least a reasonable price he paid for the export production. The farmer was being threatened that he ‘would he unable to obtain the prices to Jwhioh he was entitled.

“ We have stated definitely that we .are not going to exploit the United . Kingdom, not going to profiteer at [their expense, during the overwhelming difficulties which confront them,” declared Mr Sullivan. “ Neither are !w© going to permit exploitation of the fceople of New Zealand.” He suggested that the logical deduc-tion-from Mr Poison’s speech was that Iwhilo the Government was saying to beoplo that only fair and reasonable prices should be charged, the farmers Should be completely exempt. Mr Poison: They are entitled to just he‘fair treatment as anybody else. The Minister: Are they a class apart? What position would the Government be in if other people who have diffibulties come to us and say we have , given freedom to the farmers and they ton get whatever price they cau no tnatter what the circumstances? Mr. Sullivan declared that to let any lection have complete freedom would pe impossible. No Government in the World could carry on control on a basis which discriminated between one seclion of the community and another. “ And it is not going to

happan,” added the Minister emphatically. “ The whole community is going to do its part, and there is going to be no exploitation by any section.” Mr Poison; There is no exploitation.

The Minister: “ It it not to be as* sumed that the Government is going to behava stupidly and irrationally in regard to prices.” He aseursd the House that the Price Tribunal would make recommendations what were fair prices. If there had been a fair and honest increase in costs, not specious claims or humbug of that kind, and an industry was not In the position to carry on, it was assumed that those costs would have to be recovered in the price of the product. Any other course would do more harm than good. He would be the first to say that justice must be done to the farmer.

The Price Tribunal was investigating Bie whole question of meat prices, takpa the evidence of all those interested, [ut nothing would tend more to paralyse the war effort and engender distantent and unhappiness than any feclbg that some people were being albwed to get “ any old price ” and trow rich at the expense of the rest of fee community. He strongly protested against Mr 'olson’s suggestion that “Star Chamer,” methods of investigation were beig employed. He could produce corsspondence ‘ from farmers and stock nd station agents who had written fforing their co-operation. Their atitude Was “Take us and our busiesses. All we want is to help the Goernment to discharge its obligations j the United Kingdom.” That afternoon was the first occasion ta which he had come in contact with he blatant spirit shown.by the mem[er for Stratford. t Mr Cobbe (National, Manawatu) |tgested that as feed had been poor, :k was not. in the best condition ou itember 1, and it was unfair to take prices of that date as the basis, also questioned Whether the two obera of the Price Tribunal had ugh information to fix prices for whole industry. was contended by Mr Bodkin (rsail. Central Otago) that the situain the fat stock market was not a problem. The production of fat c for this season of the year was ecialised business in which only a farmers took part. If the Minister ted the farmers’ co-operation, the uage he had used about them was rtunate. “The first people to put up their tends and try to profiteer,” continued lr Bodkin, “ were the trade unions, pok at the camps and the carpenters.” .The Acting Prime Minister: That ) definitely incorrect. ’Mr Bodkin: There are thousands of bung fellows volunteering to serve few Zealand for 7s a day, and I bow [Mr Speaker intervened to point out |at a discussion on trade unions was

outside the scope of the'Appropriation Bill. , , , “It is difficult to observe your rulintr ” replied Mr Bodkin, “ when one fimls that the farming community are being slandered, not by direct statements, but by hints. The farmers are entitled to justice. They do not ask for more. "Wb do iiotr expeefc "tho xarnißr to get any special treatment. We recognise that as a body they will be out to co-operate with the Government 100 per cent.” . , The Hon. W, Parry: The Minister said so. , , , Mr Bodkin: He was careful to raj that other sections would ask him, “ Are you going to control us and allow the farmer to go free?” Mr Sullivan: I suggested that the member for Stratford wanted to put mo in the position of people having come to me to say that while they were being regulated the farmer was allowed to go free.

Emphasising the importance of securing equality of sacrifice, the Acting Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, declared: “ I will say this on behalf of the Government. We are prepared, if it can be done, to live at the same rate as the soldiers. I am not going to say it would be possible to adjust everybody to that, but we have got to look at it from that point of view.”

Whether it was a case of the carpenters, the farmers, the watersiders, or anyone else, concluded Mr Fraser, the time might come, if the war continued, when _ they would have literally to subscribe to what they now subscribed in their hearts.

Mr Coates (National, Kaipara) remarked that the country would welcome Mr Fraser’s statement, for he believed it had been made in all sincerity. Everyone would agree that there should be absolute equality of sacrifice.