WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 8 April 1927, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

ABSOLUTE CONTROL. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? \ 'Special to “ Guardian.”) (. WELLINGTON. April 7>. j In a let Lor addressed to the ‘‘Tara- | iiahi Daily News,” which has attract- j cd considerable attciitiou here. .Mr K. A. Janies, the Dominion Secretary ol tile Political Reform League, took upon ( himself the task ol defending tlie , Prime Minister from a charge made against him hy the New Plymouth journal to the effect that he was 10-spoii.-ihle lor ihe cmilii luatiou ol th.‘ . Dairy Produce Control Act in ft.- present form, and therelore re-ponsihle lor the disquieting results i lint had 101 l weed upon its administration. "• eannot help thinking,” M.r .lames shaped his pretest with the conrltsy he always maintains, "it is rather unfortunate that, so lar as the Prime Minister is concerned, yon should h ive fallen into the error of assuming that Mr Coates is in any way responsible for the unparalleled powers exercised |,v the Dairy Control Hoard in imposing ‘its coercive’ ideas upon British traders in the marketing „f dairy produce.” In support of his " thinking ” Mr James trines the progress of the Dairy Hill from it- introduction in 1922 Dll ils filial passage in 1020. Implying that Mr Coates was responsible neither for it - contents nor for its progress through the House, though at the time he was a Minister of the ! Crown and voted consistently with his colleagues and the other supporters of compulsion. THE EDITORIAL RETORT. ! The " Daily News ’’ in reiterating its indictment is no less courteous Ilian Mr James, lint perhaps a little more emphatic. “Mr Coates was the head of the Government.” it says. " He Imd been returned hy an overwhelming majority. . . He was master of the situation; he could do almost anything he liked; he had power to suspend the operation of the compulsory clauses of the Act. Hut how did he act? He brushed aside the earnest advice and strong representations of those who feared the consequences of the rash experiment. He had his party whipped into line, when it came to the voting, excepting one or two who had the backbone to withstand him. and rejected the amendments. Ill’s responsibility therefore is absolute. . . He eannot shift it on to Parliament or on to the farmers themselves. Such nil excuse would he as futile as would he that of a captain who Idnincd his crew for a disaster to liis ship. . .Mr Contes was warned, not by his opponents so much as by his friends and supporters, of the risks and dangers he was running, hut he was obdurate.” That the " News ” is not seeking to make party capital out of the trouble of the producers may he gathered from its expression of readiness to take the Prime Minister to its heart again when he divests the Dairy Hoard of its compulsory powers. THE INDICTMENT JIbSTJ FI ED. Meanwhile it is necessary only to "imle from Hansard, of August 4tli. M 2J, when the Dairy Produce Export ' 'ontrol Hill was in Committee of the | Mouse, three proposed, amendments to J he measure that were rejected h.v the : ’rimo Minister and his lag hntallions. I Here they are in parliamentary phrase-j

Mr Nash f Palmerston ■ moved to add the following new clause; " Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in H e principal Act, no notice by the Hor-rd under section thirteen of the principal Act of its intention to assume ahs- lute control shall take effect before the first day of September, uinteen hundred and twenty-seven.” New clause not added. Mr Vcitili (Wanganui) moved to add the following new clause:—"Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Ihe principal Act. no notice by the Hoard under section thirteen of the principal Act of its intention to assume absolute control shall take offert unless and until such notice has been confirmed by a referendum of tlie producers.” .Motion negatived. Mr Veitrli (Wanganui) mdved to add. the following new clause: " Notwithstanding anything to the eontrrav in the principal Act. no notice hy the Hoard under section thirteen of the principal Act’of its intention to assume absolute-control shall take effect unless and until such notice has been confirmed bv the .Minister of Agriculture. Motion negatived. Mr .N’asli’s motion was rejected by Ml voles to IS), Mr Coates and all bis colleagues voting with the majority, and Mr Veiteli’s two motions were rejected on the voices. THE SHADOW BEFORE.

It must lie said for .Mr.Tamos, before „ leaving this .subject, that while lie stands loyally to his employers he does not personally .subscribe to the doctrine of compulsion. “ The time chosen to introduce compulsion,” he says in the concluding paragraph of his letter, 11 was certainly unfortunate. Xot only were there large stocks of unsold butter on the London market when the board took absolute control, hut Great Britain was suffering from an unprecedented depression, arising out of the coal crisis, and very determined opposition was being offered to the pricefixing tactics which form part of the board's policy. Being in London when the slump occurred, it was only natural that Mr Coates should consult with the hoard's advisers and those who objected to its policy, in order to see if it were possible to bring about a better state of affairs. There was no vacillation about his attitude, nor in the advice he tendered to the board to change its methods, and it is unfair to

suggest that the Government is in any way responsible for ‘ routing control.’ or 1 swinging over to the enemy,’ or even that it favoured the exercise ot the arbitrary powers which were intended to he used as a means of defence in an emergency.” Mr James stands so close to the throne in this country that it perhaps would not he presumptions to assume from his sound views in regard to control that the Government itself is contemplating some radical changes in the provisions of the Dairy Produce Export Control Act during the approaching session of Parliament.