MARKETING POLICY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 71, 8 May 1946, Page 5

MARKETING POLICY

DAIRY INDUSTRY’S SCHEME

FULL CO-OPERATION FROM * GOVERNMENT

“I feel sure that you will all agree with me that throughout the period when we have had the guaranteed price scheme in operation, we have felt that we as an industry—and a very important industry that provides a large part of our sterling funds —should have some say in the marketing overseas of our butter and cheese,” said Mr A. Linton, Acting-Chairman of the New Zealand Dairy Board at the East Coast Ward Conference at Whakatane last Wednesday.

“Nearly every year at our Dominion Conference, this question has been discussed, and delegates by their speeches have shown that they were dissatisfied to be cut off from marketing altogether. This dissatisfaction culminated two years ago in a resolution from the Conference instructing the Dairy Board and the Dairy Industry Council to bring down a comprehensive report on export marketing and develop a . scheme which would give the industry once more the right to market :its own produce.”

Chairman’s Explanation

Continuing, Mr Linton said that the Board’s scheme had been unanimously adopted by the previous year’s Dominion Conference. As nothing further had transpired and ..as they might think that the Board had been remiss in not pressing their claims to have it brought into being, he wished to report exactly what had happened since the last •conference. In their scheme they maintained firstly that while New Zealand operated under conditions other than free exchange, free marketing and free imports, the industry in self-protection must have an adequate price related to its costs. That under existing conditions could be obtained only by a State guarantee, and that in turn would make it necessary if the industry regained • control of marketing, to accept additional Government nominees on rthe Dairy Board. Minimum Guaranteed Price 'The other main points made were that there should be a minimum guaranteed price for dairy produce and that adjustments to meet movements in costs should be made annually by a committee consisting of three representatives of the indus-

try, and three representatives of the 'Government, with a Supreme Court .Judge as chairman. They had indicated the machinery by which the .decisions would be carried into effect and outlined how the scheme

would operate, and finally had asked that the industry should have an active and definite partnership in any negotiations regarding the sale of dairy produce the price of which Jhad not then been arranged. Board’s Endeavours Nullified Conference agreed after endorsing ■the proposals, that further negotiations in connection with the marketing plan should be carried on by a -committee it appointed, the personnel of which was Mr Hale, Chairman of the Board, Mr C. P. Agar, Mr W. Marshall, Mr W. Mulholland ; and Mr W. E. Scott. The Board had actively pushed the marketing plan

ever since the last Dominion Conference but he regretted to say that ; so far it had got nowhere. Mr Lin-

ton then detailed many attempts that had been made to get a decision from the Government The Dairy Board had done everything it possibly could to implement the Do-

minion Conference but had been up against a brick wall. The Ministers had made no attempt whatever to meet them and had simply shelved the question month after month.

Government’s Lack of Interest “In view of its importance both to our industry and to the country as a whole,” concluded Mr Linton, “we feel we should have had better treatment from the Government. The industry will never be satisfied until it has once again assumed control of its own produce. We have brought forward a- scheme which offers co-operation with the Government, we believe it is one that will work satisfactorily, and we think that the Government has been unwise in not meeting us in connection with it. Mr Nash has now left the

country again, so it looks as if once again the matter will be shelved, and that unfortunately, though they will not say so in so many ward's, appears to be the actual policy of the Government in connection with it.”