DAIRYMEN IN CONFERENCE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 40, 13 June 1947, Page 3

DAIRYMEN IN CONFERENCE

EAST COAST ASSOCIATION

MEETING AT WHAKATANE Many subjects of vital interest to dairyfarmers came under discussion at the annual meeting: at Whakatane on Friday morning: of the East Coast Dairy Association. Mr W. A. McCracken presided and there was a good representation from the Tauranga, Bay of Plenty (Te Puke), Rangitaiki, Opouriao, Waimana and Opotiki Dairy Companies. The Te Kaha and Katikati companies sent apologies. Dairy Board Business In previous years meetings of the association had been attended by representatives of the New Zealand Dairy Board, said Mr McCracken.

This year the association had been advised that it was not advisable for members of the board to attend and make any statement of the board’s policy. Negotiations were still going on between the Dairy Board and the Government regarding the setting up of the Dairy Commission, and nothing could be said about this matter in the meantime.

At its last annual meeting the association had urged that the membership of the Dairy Board should be. enlarged so that each member would not have such a large territory to represent. In view of the setting up of the Dairy Commission and the prospect of a large board being appointed the meeting decided to defer further action in this matter.

Auckland Butter Sales

Mr McCracken reported to dele- | gates on three conferences which he had attended to consider the question of the distribution of butter on the Auckland market. A similar scheme had been working satisfactorily in Wellington and Hawke’s Bay.

There were difficulties in the way of adopting a new marketing scheme ;for Auckland, as it appeared that the Government would be reluctant to take action unless there was complete agreement among dairy companies. Certain companies which had been supplying the Auckland market for many years would not support the scheme. Companies which did not sell any butter in Auckland would benefit from the scheme.

Mr McCracken said it appeared that producers were losing some of the profits to be obtained from having a unified system of supplying the Auckland market with butter. The proposed scheme would cut down the number of vans delivering butter to retailers, and would effect other economies to the advantage of both producers and consumers.

Milk Production Film A proposal that a film on milk production, which the Department of Agriculture had obtained from the United States, should be shown throughout the Bay of Plenty .was approved by the meeting. This film had already been shown at an Edgecumbe meeting and elsewhere in the Bay of Plenty. “It is quite an eye-opener even for those who have milked cows for years,” said one delegate. The hope was expressed that all dairy companies would join in having the film shown at meetings of young farmers clubs and other gatherings. It was stated that officers of the. Department of Agriculture were willing to travel and show the film in any hall where there would be an audience. This was an opportunity which should be taken advantage of. Fertiliser For Bay Farms

The establishment of a fertiliser work on the shores of Tauranga Harbour was suggested in a letter from the Tauranga Company. .This matter was deferred in view of the fact that- a representative meeting of farmers at Tauranga had appointed a committee to go thoroughly into the question. This committee would report to a later meeting at Tauranga. A Tauranga delegate said the scheme had much to recommend it provided every farmer in the Bay of Plenty was interested enough to take up shares and agree not to sell them to any but a bona-fide farmer. He recalled the case of another farmers’ company the shares of which had been gradually bought up cheaply by certain commercial interests, after which the company commenced paying regular dividends. ,

Other speakers who had attended I,he preliminary meeting at Tauranga said the proposal was one worthy of the support of farmers and their organisations. More Frequent Meetings That the association should hold regular meetings was the opinion expressed by Mr Hartstone (Tauranga). There had been no meetings since the last annual meeting. He urged that all information received from the Dairy Board by the secretary should be circulated to member dairy companies and that meetings, say, every three months might be held. In this way the delegates meeting members of the Dairy Board at ward conferences would be better informed.

The secretary, Mr T. A. Bridger, said there were no difficulties in the way of holding meetings at regular intervals, provided representatives were prepared to travel and that there was business for discussion. It was resolved that in the forthcoming year meetings of the association be held at four-monthly intervals, one meeting at Te Puke and two at Whakatane. The hope was expressed that the meeting at Te Puke would stimulate interest of producers at the northern end of the Bay of Plenty in the work of the association, and that the Katikati company would be represented. Dairy companies are to be asked to bring up matters of interest for discussion to make the meetings thoroughly worthwhile.

After considerable discussion on the experience of delegates at the last Dairy Board conference a motion was drafted and approved to the effect that in future in the event of any contentious legislation or other matters coming before the dairy conferences a circular containing this information should be sent to each dairy company so that the matters could be considered before the ward conferences are held.