Ward System For Meat Board Sought

Chronicle (Levin), 2 December 1948, Page 2

Ward System For Meat Board Sought

INVERCARGILL, I3cc. 1. Deelaring that .there was a weakness in the present system of electing the Meat Producers ' -Board, Mr. J. A: Tayior, of Browns hrauch, stated at a meeting of the meat and wool section of Pederated Farmers (Southland) that his brancli eonsidered that the Meat Board should be elected on the ward svstem. * The proposal met with general approval, some members advoeating that the ward system should also apply to the New Zeaiand Wool Board. It was decided to get the opinion of otlier provincial federations in New Zeaiand 011 the subject. The chairman, Mr. H. P. Mclntyre, who is a mcmber of the Electoral College, said he had h'eld the vicw for a long time that a change in system was needed. The dairy industry worked under the ward system and producers elected tlieir representatives t'o the board. Under -the Electoral Oollege 'system, producers elected members of the college and tho college eleeted the board. There was a definite weakness in that system in that it wouJd be possiblc to iiave all members of the board in one Island. A ehange would mcaii an aniendment to the Act but i'f there was sufficient swpport for the proposal, it shoulclAiot be diffieult to get the ainendiitiijjffl|' through. People might be inclinedffo say the present •system- liau-' worked satisfactorily for 21 years but from Southland's point of view that was not the case. The Electoral College might'not favour a change but it would have to take notiec of producers' requests.