FIXING THE PRICE OF DAIRY PRODUCE

Chronicle (Levin), 14 August 1947, Page 5

FIXING THE PRICE OF DAIRY PRODUCE

WELLINGTON, August 13. "Marketing and the lixation of the pric.e to the pro,ducer is the duty of thc New Zealand Dairy ProdnCts Marketing Commission," said Hon. E. L. Oullen, vvhen replying to Mr. E. B Corbett (Eginont), in the House ot Representatives. '-'In vievv, however, of the need for an early review oi' prices to producers for the 1-946-41 season and the lixation of prices fo, tlie 1947-48 season, it was considereii by representatives of the dairy i-ndus Lry that the negotiation of prices under the London contracts should be carried out. on this occasion in the same manner as in 1946," he added. Mr. Corbett said priee negotiations should be a job for the comhaission amf not for dairy board members who had departed for London for this purpose. If there was any time when the commission should have commenced its business on a sound basis, it was in London conducting price negotiation^. It was now right outside the province of the dairy board to negotiate for priee fixatxon and unfortunately it was too lafe to recall those dairy board members overseas. Mr. Cullen said so far as -Jong-tenri prices for dairy products were con cerned, the industry did decide, alon.with the Government, to. follow the previous proeedur-e, for this year onlv and that was why dairy board repro seutatives were on their way to London to fix prices. » Mr. Corbett: Sending boys on a man's ei-rand, Mr. Cullen: Would it be right to seni. members of the commission away from the country when they have a terrifically important job to do here? The Minister said the dairy industm would be well -represented by those members of the dairy board selected to consult with the Home authorities in Ihe matter of prices. Mr. W. Broadfoot said two of "tlnmembers who were eventually appoini ed to the dairy commission had, as members of the dairy board, been ablto vote on the question of whether o.i not they should be appointed to the commission. The board chairman had ruled it was in order for them to vot.»but it was a very wrong ruling. IMr Broadfoot said the ichairman, deputy chairman and an official oi: the dairv board had since left for London to discuss produce prices. On what should have been the first job for t'he neu commission, it had been sidetraclced b\ people having no statutory authority. It made one very suspieious of thc commission. Apparently the chairmau and his satellites had been sent to London merely to. he told what the new price wolild be. The main function oi the commission seemed -to be to earry -Ihe baby whieh had. appea-red in th olfing — the possibility of a priee reees sion.