MARKETING BILL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20061, 6 October 1939, Page 6

MARKETING BILL

PASSED ALL STAGES CONTROL OF PRODUCE LIMITATION REFUSED AMENDMENT DEFEATED

(Pit Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Ibis day

The discussion on the second reading of the Marketing Amendment Bill was continued in the House of Representatives after 2 o’clock this morning' bv members of the Opposition, who urged the Government to give a definite undertaking that the provisions of the bill would be operative only for the duration of the war. or only for such time thereafter as was absolutely necessary. Mr. J. A. Roy (Nat., Clutha), said that the farming community genuinely feared that the Government would buy their products at one price and sell them at aonther to the United Kingdom, ancr would use the difference to meet what they considered was the Government’s wasteful expenditure. Mr. W. S. Goosman (Nat., Waikato), hoped that the provisions of the bill would operate onl£ for the duration of the war and would be rescinded as soon after the ending’of the war as possible. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Nat., Waitorno), said that when the Primary Products Marketing Act had come before the House, the Opposition nad been suspicious that it might be the tirst step towards the Government adopting wider and fuller control of ‘he country’s produce. That suspicion had been justified by the present bill. Dominion’s Obligations The Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, in reply, said he was sorry to hear some members of the Opposition say that New Zealand should ask the United Kingdom to pay us the same price for our produce as was paid to neutrals. He reminded the House of the Dominion’s obligations to Britain, and said, if it had not been for the Old Country we could not have sent an ounce of our pro duce out of the country. The bill passed the second reading, and i,n the committee stages th« Leader of the Opposition, the Hor. Adam Hamilton, said they did not want unnecessarily to hold up the business of the House. They woulo move an amendment at the end of the committee stage, and there would not be unnecessary discussion. As the bill went through the committee, eight clauses of the bill were passed rapidly. Then Mr. Hamilton moved an amendment that the last clause of the bill, which makes provision for the fixing of prices, should remain in force only for the duration of the war and 12 months there after, and no longer. Test of Sincerity. Members of me Opposition appealed to the Government to accept the amendment, but it was eventually put to the vote, Mr. W. J. Poison (Nat., Startford), stating that al would serve as a test of the Government’s sincerity. The amendment was defeated by 3'i votes to 21, and the bill was finally passed tnrough all stages at 4.50 a.m.

The House rose until 2.30 p.m. today.