PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 66, 18 November 1913, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17. HOUSE OF REPr.tSENTAT!YES. [PEE PBEBB ABBOOIATION.I Wellington, November 17. _ The House met at 7.30 p.m. The Speaker announced that he would allow any fciU which had passed its initial stage to be .proceeded with it called on alter 12.30. BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. The House went into committee on the Board of Agriculture Sill Sir Joseph Ward move an amendment to sub-section 3 of clans 2, timet representation should he given on cne Board to fruitgrowers, beekepers poulLy'breeders and the Flaxmillers Association. Mr Massey said that he could no. accept the amendment, as if it won carried it would unduly increase the number of members of the Board. Those engaged in the industries mentioned were already members of the A. and P. Associations, and would obtain representation through that chanji d. ~ Mr G. Forbes claimed that the smaller' industries should have representation on the Board. The Bill was designed to cater only for the big sheep Evidently the Government v, as only going to cater for one class.

Mi L. M. Isitt said that the mino: industries had, been, sneered at by the supporters of the Government. That was evidently the spirit in which the Bill had been drafted. fl As a matte* cf fact, fruit-growing was working wonders in Nelson, and when poultry breeders were being encouraged by tin Government an enormous amount off (Hod would be done.

..Sir W. Buchanan declared that the dairy industry was started in New .Zealand ,by a class, Mr Isitt. affected ■ a despise—the large land owners. He, personally, had tak,en an. active part in promoting fruit-growing associations in the Wairarapa ; ',and,the big land owner generally Was in sympathy • : th the smaller, industries. Tabs.? industries would, be , amply represent-

ed through the medium of the A. and P. Associations, whose members had i wide knowledge ,of fruitgrowing, beekeeping,, and.similar industries.

Mr G. Forbes said, that the.Qppo•<it'ibii; h'ad supported.the,Bill : because it had been under', the in}pres;-:on tha'. it wpuld be the means of infusing new Life into the working of the. Agrieul»*i#al Department;'but evidently they wore to l)e disappointed. He cp'utd rot understand' 'the,'opposition,,of the Prime Minister to the amendment, unless it! was that .all the positions were to bje given, to/big men. •' ! Mr Massey'clenied'Aliat thq : Board would be composed of oig men. He was confident that the A.. ..and. P. Associations 1 would select men ■ the hes-t .ualified to, foster the primary industries of the country. rjHe, as a Minis er, had a right to nominate .four members to f and 'hs,^vq n h.l wait until; ;tlieyL and' £.,.; in ado t j, , and . flf ould ma k<* his appointments)Svjthta view to mak-' in r the Board as representative ar' passible. ■-.■■■• ,:"■.■..-,

Mi' C. K. WifsoiV said that a complete answer ,tq ,the, contention f pf the* Opposition was the fact that a lairg? majority of. presidents of the Mana watu A. and P. Association had. been small men, men selected not because tljey had big holdings, out .because they'had an intimate knowledge of all branches of farming. Mr H. At more asked if l the Prime Minister refused to recognise, the interests of the fruitgrowing industry •as worthy of representation on .the Board. The supporters of the Government represented large and wealthy agricultural interests, and, therefore, it was, natural that they shoiikl cry out against inclusion' of representatives of small industries.

Mr J. A. Young contended that the class of representatives wanted on the, Board were men of experience and sound cornmonsense. That class ol men could be best secured from the aggregate of the members of the' A. and P. Societies, which included ey.eiy branch of industry applied to the soil. .The discussion is proceeding on;tbe lines of the small man versus the b'g man. A division was taken at 12.15 wlien the amendment was lost by 2G votes to 19. Mr G. Witty moved an amendment excluding members of the Legislature fi'ohT'tlie Board which the Prime .Minister accepted, and it was carried. In reply to Mr G.'Forbes, the Prime Minister stated;that it. was his intention to recommend the Board to hold its meetings in various, parts of the Dominion, not exclusively in Wellington. The: Bill was reported without further amendment, read a third time, and passed. KOOTWKAU HILL.

The House went into committee on the/Footwear*•Regulation Bill, which passed with minor amendments. Tin' Bill comes into operation on July Ist. 1914.