SALE OF PRODUCTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 July 1917, Page 8

SALE OF PRODUCTS.

MR. M. J. OKEY'S VIEW'S. % Te.leprap/I—Special to Daily News. (Parliamentary Reporter!) I Wellington, Last N'iidit. | Speaking in tlio House to-day. Mr. if. | Okcy (memlier for Taranai.i) said Hint, j congratulations to Ministers rcirardin." I the \vorl; done in connection villi the sale of products were not fashionable. Sonj"members seemed to think it was unpatriotic to asl; a fair pri.e for the products Xew Zealand had to sell, but he maintained that the producers of the Dominion were entitled to fair ;priees. The whole country shared the benefit of those prices, since the inflow of money assisted to meet the cost of the .war. Jie did not consider the beef producers had got ouite as muoli as they should have done in comparison with the mutton producers, and he had urged Unit point oL view at the conference which discussed the Imperial (iovrnment's offer. The producers, however, had accepted the oirer. and would lie content to abide by it until the close of the war and for six months over. A fair price had been secured for wool, but the negotiations for the cheese purchase had not been conducted in altogether a satisfactory fashion. The farmers were willing to accept BJd at the opening of the season, but the matter had been" left over until many factories bad sold at 10d and over, and finally the Imperial authorities had tascn the .whole output at i)hi. The farmers had not been unreasonable in

their attitude, for they had accepted less than the market price and less than Canada was receiving. They were as ready as any other section of the community to make sacrifices. Mistakes had been made in connection with the Defence administration, tine mistake had been the creation of a ftille Brigade known as "Lord Liverpool's Own," with a different training and different badges from the rest of the troops. All New Zealanders should have been on the same ■ footing. He believed too many Kcinforcements were being sent. The men had accumulated at Home above requirements, with the result that men sent for reinloning purposes had been formed into a new brigade. These men had been lost as far as reinforcing the division was concerned, lie referred to the fiallipoli campaign, contending that New Zealanders had been sent to do the impossible. It' appeared now that the mobilisation of the Second Division

would become necessary before the next meeting of Parliament. Proper provision would have to be made for the wives and other dependents of the married men. The existing allowances and pensions had been lixed when the mobilisation of the Second Division men seemed improbable, and the rates were not adequate. lie did not believe any Second Division men would be sent out of New Zealand during the next twelve months. The last Fir-t Division man should be sent fnst. The married men wvro carrying the burden of State at present, paying the taxes, working the land, and producing the wealth, so that the Government should not break up families and husincs-cs for a single hour earlier than was absolutely essential. The use of retired farmers as managers to carry on the. work of the Second Division men would not lie satisfactory. Already many Second Division men were preparing to go, and that me.int soiling herds which tended to find their way into Ihe freezing works. The result would be a loss to the Dominion. lie did not believe New Zealand would secure many immigrants after the war, as Britain would not have men to spare and would be trying to develop her own soil.

Tho Government should take member? into its confidence, said Mr.-. Okcy. ''We will discharge whatever obligations have boon entered into, kit we wish I<i know what these obligations are. We are entitled to clear and definite information. It is a question whether we are justified in continuing to ,-end men at the present rate." Mr. Okcy said that while Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward had done good worl; in London, tho Ministers remainin" in New Zealand had blundered. The butter-fat levy had been one of their i>ad mistakes. Farmers bad been blackmailed by the announcement that if they did not pay the levy they would not be allowed'to export. This had been done by the Minister of Agriculture, who was supposed to guard the farmers' interests. Mr. Wilford raised a point of order, and the Speaker directed Mr. Obey to withdraw tho charge of blackmail against a Minister. Mr. Okoy, after withdrawing the remark, said'the farmers felt the tax very keenly. Tliey regarded it as a clas> tax, 'which fell "with special severity on the small men. The levy had meant a tax of 12s (Id to 15s on each cow. Dr. Thicker: That money was not there before the war. It was war profit. Mr. Okcv quoted illustrations of the operation of the tax in the cases of small farmers, and be added that until the Government had repaid the money taken from dairy farmers the agitation would not cease.