DAIRY PRODUCE PRICES

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24895, 7 June 1946, Page 6

DAIRY PRODUCE PRICES

PROPOSED NEW SCHEME ENDORSED

IMMEDIATE OPERATION URGED DUNEDIN, June & Difficulties being experienced in receiving a hearing from the Minister of Finance (the Rt. Hon. W. Nash) tor the proposed new scheme for removing prices for dairy produce from political control were referred to by the chairman (Mr H. H. Meredith) at the annual conference of the South Island Dairy Association. The plan had been brought down after much thought by the Dairy Board and the dairy industry jointly. and it had been unanimously approved at the Dominion dairy conference last August. “Repeated efforts have been made by the Dairy Board to arrarwe with the Government for a discussion of the plan with a view of putting it into effect with a minimum of delay," the chairman said, “but so far the board has failed to get the Minister of Finance to respond. “I think it is generally agreed by dairy producers throughout the Dominion that the guaranteed price scheme, which has now been in operj ation for 10 years, is not in their best interests.” Mr Meredith said. “That was made abundantly clear by the reception given to the new plan at the Wellington conference. The fundamental principle of the plan is that determination of the price to be paid to producers will no longer be under the sole control of anv political party in office, but will be decided by an independent tribunal, with a Supreme Court judge as chairman.” A motion was carried as follows; “That this conference of South Island dairy producers approves the marketing plan adopted by the Dominion dairy conference and urges the Dairy Board to take all possible steps to have the plan put into operation without delay."