Urgent Food Production Problems

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 58, 11 March 1944, Page 5

Urgent Food Production Problems

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, March 10. The Address-iu-Reply debate was resumed by Air. P. Carr (Lab., Auckland West) when the House of Representatives met at 10.30 this morning. Air. Carr said that Opposition members all said they were not “riding to order,” but they were certainly running true to form. They all attacked the workers. Mr. W. A. Bodkin (Nat., Central Otago) said Air. Carr had made an impudent claim that the Government was concerned with defence before it gained the Treasury benches. The fact was that until just before the war nobody was more opposed to military expenditure in New Zealand or any part of the Empire than members of the present Government, who were at the head of every pacifist movement and bitterly opposed compulsory military service. Air. Bodkin said there was an urgent need for action by the Government to solve its manpower muddle, for four years food production had been substantially in the hands of old men and women. The Government had called up women of 31 to 40 years before ascertaining how' many hundreds or thousands of young rirls could be released from the uniformed Services. Subsidies Challenged. Air. Bodkin said that subsidies were being paid out surreptitiously by Cabinet or the War Cabinet behind closed doors. If money was to be paid out to civilians in the form of subsidies it should be voted openly by Parliament and the wholo truth told to the people. Air. Bodkin claimed thut Now Zealand had beeu placed iu a desperate position through Lend-Lease operations. There was a deficit of nearly £40,000,000 against us to-day aud now that we required far less from the'United States the effect would be that we have to pay off the debt in future by goods and supplies under reverse Lease-Lend on the disadvantageous price basis negotiated by Air. Nash. Mr. Omaua (Lab., Eastern Alaori), continuing the Address-in-Repiy debate in the House oi Representatives, said that no Government had give* more assistance to the Alaori people than the present one. Social security had enabled thousands of Maori women and children to have a piece of bread and butter. Much of the native legislation now on the Statute Book had outlived its usefulness and should be wiped out. The word “native” seemed foreign to him, and he thought the word “Alaori” should be used on all occasions. He believed in less talk and more ivork. Depression Talk Air. Adennan (Nat., New’ Plymouth) said it was high time wo got away from talk of depression and faced realistically the issues of vital importance to New Zealand to-day', among which the winning of the war was paramount. Parliament should be restored to its proper function in the government of the country, even if that required some concessions from both sides of the House. .The Government must realise that not all the w'isdom, sincerity, and reasonableness came from the Government benches or from Aliuisters absent from their seats because they had been translated to distant and exalted positions. Air. Adernuin was frequently' subjected to interjections and the Speaker frequently called the House to order. Discussing the. New Zealand-Austra-lian agreement, Air. Aderinan said the peoples of the two countries had always been closel.v linked, and the rhetorical emphasis placed on cooperation by the fact and manner of its signature was nonsense. The Government ought to have consulted the Opposition and the people before concluding a long-term pact which might outlast its originators. Moreover, impressions had been created abroad which could have been avoided had more tact been used in the presentation of the pact to the world. Issue Between Two Parties Mr. Alacfarlane (Christchurch South) said the election clearly demonstrated that the real issues of the country were between the two main parties. lie claimed that but for Democratic Labour the Government to-day would still have 50 seats in the House, the Opposition 29 and Air. Atmore. Any Government in wartime was bound to tread on the toes of many people. He considered that while the Land JSalcs Act gained Labour some urban votes it cost the Government seats in the country districts where it was physically impossible to overtake in the short time between the passing of the legislation and the election the many misinterpretations and misrepresentations of the Land Sales Act which were circulated. Ho recommended that the Government introduce its major legislation at the latest in the second y r car of Parliament to enable the country' to appreciate its measures properly. Air. Alacfarlane said the struggle after the war between the Right aud Left would become much more acute. ! It was a division between those desiring to return to the status quo aud those genuinely seeking to provide a better deal for the people which largely made the demarkation between the Opposition and Government. One suggestion made by Air. Alacfarlane in discussing help for the mothers of families was that after the war military camps should be adapted to provide holiday centres for mothers with children. Food Production Air. Murdoch (Marsdeu) said the major problem in New Zealand to-day was producing the food needed by Britain. Representatives of the farmers had in the last few days had discussions with representatives of the Government and others. He was not at liberty' to say what was discussed concerning prices or other matters. The farmers had put up a case to the Prime Aiinister and he would say' that oue Government member hud spoken iu the House in a manner quite contrary to that of the Prime Minister in the conference. Air. Alurdoch quoted figures to show the decline in pigmeat, dairy and other production and urged the removal of many' irksome restrictions which were irritating fanners and hindering production. He wished to cooperate with the Government to see the best possiblo production obtained from dairyfarms, but would ask the Government’s assistance and cooperation in return. Air. Alurdoch predicted that farm wages would have to go up further yet if satisfactory farm labour was to be obtained. Atr. Murdoch told how a few day's ago he w r as asked to sec a Htate vegetable farm a few miles from Whangarei w’here a tractor was discing to pieces five acres of pumpkins almost fit for use—sufficient to have supplied Whangarei for a year. He understood that several acres of peas and cabbages nearby’ were also not being used while six acres of maize had, so he had been told, been sold to a neighbouring farmer for grazing for £3 per acre despite the fact that the State paid £5 per acre yearly for the land. The reason for this was reported to be that the Govern-

ment was handing the land back to the original owner to restore it to grass, but it meant a very' great waste. No Coal Troubles in Waikato Air. Coulter said there was no coalfield in the world whore there had been less trouble than in the Waikato since the Government took over the control of those mines. The output had also increased tremendously aud this increase had been achieved long before the number of shifts was increased. Air. Coulter added that it apparently was not clearly understood that at least 300 of the miners were well advanced iu years. Hon. P. C. Webb deserved congratulations for tho improvements iu the miners’ conditions which had taken place under his administration. The miners were now being treated like human beings. He reminded the miners that the Government needed thair help. They should forget the Opposition’s irritation tactics and produce to the limit in tho country'’s iuterests. Air. Harker (\\ aipawa) complained that not a single block of soldier settlement had been opened up in Hawke ’■ Bay. Soldiers had to find land for themselves. Oue returned man w’aited for two years although he w*as a farm manager to get a farm aud then got it only with the help of a private friend. The Government talked of the mistakes made after the last war, but Mr. Harker said 75 per cent, of the soldiers settled in his district after the last war were effective producers to-day’. The House rose at 5.2 b until 2.30 on Tuesday. Licensing Bill Passed The Invercargill Licensing Committee Bill was passed to-day by' the Legislative Council without amendment. Hoa V. Ward, who moved as an‘amendment that the date for the appointment of the Licensing Committee be not later than April 31 instead of September 12, called for a division and the amendment was lost by 17 votes to 2, the mover and Hon. T. F. O’Byrne (Southland), being the only members in support of it.