GOVERNMENT DEFENCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 November 1918, Page 4

GOVERNMENT DEFENCE.

MINISTER OF MINES SPEAKS

In the course of the recent debate in the Address-in-Reply the Hon W. D. S. McDonald (Minister of Agriculture) said they had heard a good deal about a “ great development policy.” Surely the members

who had talked in that fashion could

not have given the matterverv much consideration. There had been a great deal of criticism of the National Government on the part of lion, members, but what had the latter been doing in the recess to help the Government ?

Mr Payne: Swearing at the National Government. (Daughter.)

Mr MacDonald : They have been asleep during the recess. They wake up suddenly when Parliament opens and tell the Government what ought to be done.

Mr D. Buick (Palmerston North) : But you are paid for it. Mr MacDonald: You say the Government has not aroused the people. I have evidently aroused some of my hon triends. (Daughter.)

[ Mr MacDonald added that lie could assure the House that so far as the National Government was concerned they had given careful consideration to every phase of the important questions that had been raised during the debate. Mr Buick : We see no results.

“ We have heard a great deal about profiteering in this country,” continued Mr MacDonald, “and what we should have done against trusts. Well, a Bill will he introduced this session to deal with the trust question. But, I want to inform those gentlemen who know so little about the farmer that so far as the trusts are concerned, and the

exploitation of the fanner is con- ‘ cerned, he (the farmer) has the matter inhis own hands. So far as J beef, mutton, lamb, butter, cheese, ! and wool are concerned, the fanner has had the privilege of selling to the Imperial Government through the New Zealand Government. If ever}' sheepfanner sold his products through the Government there would be no exploitation.” The people who were helping the trusts were those who were selling thenproducts to them. It had been said that there was exploitation with regard to wool. The Imperial Government had purchased the 1916-17 wool clip, and it was very doubtful if the whole of that clip had reached England yet, and out of the whole of that only 20 per cent had gone to the manufacturers. In spite of what j had been said, the prices of the goods 1 that were manufactured were controlled by the Imperial Government. ! The 1917-18 wool clip was in New , Zealand, but it was paid for by the j Imperial Government. Therefore, he asked, who could be said to be exploiting that wool ? It was still ' in the country. He could not j imagine people saying such silly, idiotic things as bad been said about exploitation in regard to wool. The 1917-18 wool clip bad been purchased by the Imperial Government, and the money paid for it was helping to keep the Dominion sound and financially strong. They had been told that the sheeptarmers were extracting the uttermost farthingout of the Imperial Government. The Imperial wool requisition commenced in 1916. In 1915-16, before the requisition, the New Zealand wool clip was worth nearly as much as the farmers were getting to-day. He wanted to know where there was exploitation in respect to the 600,000 bales of wool that were lying in New Zealand to-day. A total of 5,250,000 carcasses of mutton remained in New Zealand—practically the whole of the season’s output. Where was the exploitation there ? Those were matters which people did not understand. They were told that the present was the time to go in for State shipping. Was it a sane proposal to suggest that the Government should buy ships now ? Was there an opportunity of purchasing shipping that would be.of any use to the Government ? A member: Yes, the Union Steam Ship Company, at pre-war rates. REASONABLE PROGRESS.

Resolutions were being urged upon the Government to spend /,'5,000,0c0 on school buildings alone. Was there any chance of getting the labour for such a pro l gramme at the present time? All i he members oftlie National Government realised the importance ol education and wished to push ahead. But progress must be at a reasonable pace. He did not agree with those who urged that the Dominion should have rushed into a huge expenditure on the development of liydro-electiic power. Every Department was making preparation for the future, but it obviously would not be reasonable to undertake a vast scheme of development in the midst of a great war, while 100,000 men were out of the country. He believed that the country would lose nothing by the delay. It would lie able to develop water power itt the future with the assistance of the best expert advice and in the light of the experience of other countries. Mr MacDonald denied that” the farmers had exploited the public in e mnectiou with wheat production. It was a fact that before the war many farmers had worked without making any profit at all on their produce. Their only profit was the increased value of their land. The farmers had not “gone slow” in regard to wheat. They had greatly increased their area, but unfortunately the returns had not been up to expectations. It should be remembered that much ot the land would not grow wheat now without fertilisers, which were not easily obtained during the war. hie mentioned in that connection that the Geological Survey Branch, in spite of shortage of staff, had produced a. valuable report dealing with the limestone and phosphate deposits of the Dominion. This report would be placed before the House. The Minister cptoted figures to show that some farmers had grown wheat at an actual loss. The present position was that the prices of flour, bran, wheat, pollard, and bread were controlled by the Government. He was satisfied that the wheat-growers were not makingundue profits. The millers had offered to hand over their mills if it paid 2 1 per cent on their capital. The bakers were mere])’ existing. It was true that bread had been kept at a low price in England, but the Food Controller had required a vote of to make this possible. New Zealand was not badly off in connection with foodstuffs. The prices were low in comparison with other countries, and the supply had always been ample. If the Government had not taken action to check increases, flour and sugar would certainly have been dearer than they were to-day. The coal question had been tackled seriously by the Government, and the Board of Trade was at present investigating the whole industry. The report would go before the House later. The | local shortage ol potatoes was not the fault of the Government. The area sown had been ample under ordinary conditions, but the crop had been disappointing. The Minister mentioned the \yiieat purchase and the effect ol ocean freights on prices. Australia was often quoted against the Government, but meat, to take on example, wis cheaper in New Zealand than in any State of Australia except Queensland. The development of the New Zealand iron industry was a matter that had been mentioned very often in the House. It had never been shown that iron could be produced profitably in this country. His own idea was that the development of the iron industry would go hand in hand with the development of water power. The Government had done a good deal to encourage mining, and the production of gold, scheelite, coal, and other minerals had not decreased seriously in spite of the shortage of labour brought about by the war. But it was absurd to, suggest that the Government ought

to go ahead with a great policy of development at such a period. The time for that would come when the soldiers came home. He believed that soon the dark clouds of war would roll away and that the soldiers would come back to a sound, prosperous country. The work of the Minister of Defence and of other members of the Ministry would redound to the credit of the Dominion in the years to come.