THE MEAT POOL

Hokitika Guardian, 21 December 1921, Page 1

THE MEAT POOL

THU GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS. FAVORABLY DISCUSSED, SPECIAL TO GUAROIAN. • WELLINGTON, Dec 20. The debit to concerning the suggested meat pool was, taken in the House of Representatives to-day. The Prime M blister did not place any formal motion before members, the opportunity for discussion being provided by the presentation of the annual report of tbe Agricultural Department. Members of the House asked many questions, and expressed apprehensions on some points, but tbe trend of the debate throughout was favourable to the scheme.

The Leaded of he Opposition was the first speaker. Mr Milford is not a farmer, and he is not at his liest when be attempts to discuss farmers’ problems. His chief point, was that Ministers ought to place more information before the House before they asked members to approve or disapprove of the schemes that bud been outlined by the (Prime Minister. He wanted to know if tbe pool was to be on national, or district lines, if farmers weiy to be given (advances at works or on shipment, and wluit would be the- financial b->sis of the scheme'.

Mr Jones (Kaiapoi) who followed. ; was a member of the informal commit- ! tec of the Government supporters that, considered tbe scheme before it reach- i ed the House. Ho had to i-cply to a ! few questions regarding this committee. some Opposition members apparently being under life impression that all sides of the House should have been represented during the preliminary discussions.

Mr Jones insisted that the Government was entitled to look for advice to its own supporters and this view was confirmed later from the Opposition branches. by TTon Ngata (Eastern Maori! who said be thought the Ministers had igen quite within tlreir rights in consulting the Reform members before placing the scheme before tbe House.

Air McLeod. (Wairarapal who was also a member of the committee nssur■>d the House that the alternative to the scheme was disaster from the point if view of the producers. Many freezing companies were unable t - buy meat this season, having been bard hit last season. The producers, in (be absen, e of a pool would lie forced t;- send thousands of individual consignments to London, where they would depress tbe market against one another. Tbe proposed pool, on tbe other hand, would maintain the market by making it passible .for supplies to. go forward in. a systematic manner. He thought that heavy mutton should lie held in Oils country until the position improved in Britain.

Tbe Leader of the Labour Party, who has bis own way of looking at these ■natters, declared that the Dominion was drifting 1 > (socialism. Tbe scheme ■lies'tit that tbe machinery of private 'ntonirisc bad broken down again and I link the Government was being required to come to the rescue of the inefficient capitalistic system.