DAIRY PRODUCE POOL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 12, 9 October 1918, Page 8

DAIRY PRODUCE POOL

'The prime reason actuating the Fed'al Government in the formation of Iβ Commonwealth Dairy Produce Pool, irbe controlled by a committee with atufory powers, was apparently the ilur'e of the Federal Butter Commite to secure the control of the trade lat was intended and desirable,' says !e Sydney "Esrald."' The good brk it did has been recognised and iknowledged, but it tfaijed in that it id "no definite responsibility to anyydy." This failure was primarily in 'at in connection with- the ' "Winter iitter Pool it was not able, to enforce jierence to tho compact made with :e Federal Government, and the lattei id no proper machinery with power to arjjel observance by the Victorian faeries, for instance, of the ■understand- % to contribute supplies to the wini pool. l '.■■■'. The new pool, with full statutory iwers, will preclude recurrence [of cb experiences, and will also elimine speculators, some of whom this past ,'nter have sat on stocks in store iile the consuming public wont short, !pugh prepared'to pay current prices these speculatively-held stocks. Iβ first suggestion of such" a pool iianated from Senator- Russell, who in ay, 1917, proposed that a committee' f control the Winter Butter Pool, quid consist of one-representative!of ie producers in each State,.the CpmDnwealth Prices Commissioner and ivernment dairy experts of the States (New South "Wales, Victoria, and ieensland.-. -■ Senator. Russell subse(en'tly withdrew his scheme. ". ■ [The new pool is for the atithoritafo' control, of the entire business,!d;, tfor the common benefit of' the bchicera as a t/.'mlg To this end e wholesale traders (otherwise refer-- & to' as the proprietary interest) wili t us agents only, and will pay into e pool all their profits : other than eir commission.;-. ■ • .

[The draft.regulations that have been. Heed- •by -the Federal butter pool, iich- is oarrying on pending the elecjui'i.of. the new committee, are con}'e''and business-like. -They provide b all butter, andcheese.to come autoatically iinder the control of the pool ! the,factory.floor. The committee ictod'will hold to-office until June ;, 1020. The acquisition of the butf and cheese will I>b on a basis and bject-to .such conditions' as will prejde any factory, company, or owner taining an advantage over any comtitor' save that of extra value for tra quality. One clause of the draft regulations at is open serious objections ia JFtt the grading shall be done by the icial .graders of the Department cf ade and Customs. This unnecessar- \: cuts out the State Dairy Depart3i\t, which, under Commonwealth conil, could do the work equally as'well ;dcheapor. As it is, the States' efrtive grip on the educational side of i '■<■ relations with the industry aro reatened.

All wholesale tradors in butter musi ider the proposed repiations become ?istered""under the pool,'and will only ; permitted to charge such cornmismay be determined by the mmittee. All butter and cheese Jl'.'be. acquired at the proclaimed ices, and agenti must pay to fae-ries-according to grade, less coramism charges'. ' Any 'agent paying more an the proclaimed price ivili be liable {.cancellation'«f.liia license.- '