THE MEAT POOL.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1922, Page 5

THE MEAT POOL.

PROGRESS OF THE SCHEME. WORK NEARLY COMPLETE. (From Our Parliamentary Reporter..) The constitution of the Parliamentary Committee that is associated with the Producers’ Committee is dealing with the meat pool w r as mentioned again in the House of Representatives on Thursday. Dr. Thacker (Christchurch East) remarked that it appeared to him that the member for Kaiapoi (Mr. D. Jones), the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee, had practically been raised to the status of Minister of Meat. He thought that an official Parliamentary Committee should be set up, with representatives of both sides of the House, to take the place of tjie present party -committee. The Prime Minister replied that the committee already in existence had very nearly completed its work. He had ho doubt that the member for Kaiapoi would make a very good Minister some day, but at present he was not a Minister. He did not think another Parliamentary committee would be required in connection with the pool, but if it was required he woued not have any hesitation in asking the House ' to appoint it. He had inquired if there was any objection to two members of the Opposition sitting on the existing committee, and had been told' that the committee would be glad of ( their assistance. Ho had no doubt that arrangements could bo made ingly. Mr. G. Forbes (Hurunui), whose name had been mentioned in this connection, said he did not see mow the House could add names to a committee that was not a Parliamentary committee. Mr. G. Witty (Ricearton), whose name had also been mentioned, said that he did not feel prepared to act at this stage. He thought that both sides of the House should have been represented on the committee from the first. Mr. R. McCallum (Wairau) asked for an assurance that the pool would not interfere with the right of the farmers to sell locally and that it would not unduly raise the prices of meat to the consumers in this country. The Prime Minister replied that as far as he was aware it was not intended to interfere in the slightest with the right of the producers to sell locally. He thought the member could rest assured that nothing would be done in that direction. The rights of the consumer in this country would be safeguarded. Special provision for the local consumer had been made under the commandeer, and although the cases were not exactly parallel, he thought that something could be done under the pool system to ensure that the local consumer would be able to buy his meat at the export parity.