DAIRY MARKETING BILL TO COVER NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Grey River Argus, 24 November 1948, Page 10

DAIRY MARKETING BILL TO COVER NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Increase of Irade in Powdered Milk

Hon. C. L. Cullen moving <hc beeonu reacting or me loairy r'roduci,. Marketing Commission yimeiKimeiu uiii, said it exienaed tne Commission s present connoi oi marketing m muter and cheese to include otrier urn. , produce. The commission mid asm i. wr the bill, ami the timry board mu. agreed to it. Mr cullcn said the commission would nave tne power io control the marKenng oi milk powder. Many lactones could lie converted to dried mtlic manulucture, and it 100 many did so, it would upset our exports of butter and cheese to Britain Mr Culß'n said that some companies had applied to the Government, tor an export licence to enable them to semi ice cream to Singapore and the Malayan States, where the Americans him taught the population to eat ice, cream. The development, 01. such markets was desirable, but there was strong puolic hostility just now to anything which reduced our buttei export to Britain. Mr A. J, Murdoch (Nat., Marsden) said that, although the bill, as tne Minister had said, was short and simple, it was also very operative ami iar-reaching. It extended the commission’s control to include all doiry produce. That was an all embracing term.

Mr J. J. Maher (Nat. Otaki)? "Everything that comes from the cow.”

Mr Murdoch said that extension of the commission’s authority to an manufactured milk products was too sweeping. Representatives of certain dairy companies had told him they were prepared for a bill giving the commission control of full milk products, but inclusion of slim milk powder had surprised them. He asked that the bill be deferred until next week to enable companies to give evidence if they wished. Mr W. A. Bodkin (Nat. Central Otago) said the truth was that the manufacture of cheese and butter could not compete with powered milk, and proceeds from the sale of the latter were not paid into the dairy pools. The Government knew that the pay out to producers supplying dried milk factories would be out of all proportion to that of butter and cheese factories. If New Zealand could not take advantage of markets overseas. Australia would secure them. It was possible that Argentine and other countries would also step into these valuable markets.

Hon. Mr Cullen, replying, said the Dairy Board had insisted that factories with established markets should not be interfered with. Their production for local markets would not b’e touched, and their arrangements with the British Ministr yof Food would continue. A greater amount of whole milk was being used for manufactured products, and the position might become serious if these products could be exported, without restriction to countries other than Britain. The bill was read the second time. The apple and pear marketing bill was put through the committee before midnight. Several Opposition amendments were defeated by 35 votes to 32.

MARKETING BILL PASSED BY HOUSE

When the Marketing Amendment Bill was before the committee of the House R. G. Gerard (Nat., Ashburton) moved as an amendment that no person should be appointed to oi continue to hold, the position oi director of marketing who had not at the time of his appointment had at least five years’ experience in the marketing of produce, rhe amendment was defeated by 36 votes to 3'A further amendment b v Mr E. B. Gordon (Nat. Rangitikei), which sought to have the accounts of the various divisions and sections of the department kept separately and shown separately in the annual report and statements of accounts when presented to Parliament, was defeated by a similar margin. The Bill was put through the remaining committee stages. The Opposition could not un-.<er-stand why the Government did not want to allow the industry, to piesent its views on the Bill, said Mr J. N Massey (Nat., Franklin), •vntm the Dairy Products Marketing Commission Amendment Bill went to committee. , _ , Mr R. M. MacFarlane (Govt., Christchurch Central): They have not asked for itMr Massey said that members cl the Opposition had received telegrams asking for the opportunity Io give evidence by those concerned. The Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. E. L. Cuillen, said the Bill was introduced a week ago and no objection to it had been received. REMOVAL WANTED

Yesterday, in the committee stage, Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Nat., Waitomo), proposed an Opposition amendment which sought for the removal of the Honey Marketing Committee Regulations, 1948, from the schedule of the Bill. Mr. Broadfoot said the regulations wer? a coercive and dictatorial measure. An opportunity to producers to effectively market their produce should be provided. The Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. E. L. Cullen, said that, even prior to a debate in the House some time ago on the honey industry, a number of honey producers in tne country had met him, and he had made it plain to the executive ol tne Honey Board that if the I.M.D. did not receive the support of the industry, fie would be pleased to recoP ]' mend to the Government the abortion of |he regulations. . The Minister said he had K'ven the executive a certain time in wlncn to keep up to their obligations, and ii they did not, he would recommend the Government to abolish the legulations. „ 1 . ~ Mr. W. A. Sheat (Nat., Patea) said the Opposition knew the difficulty the Minister was in. If y e old not "et 1.000 tons of honey through the T.M.D., he could not keen the plant goin<r on an economic basis, lhe regulations were very strongly resented by a large majority of honey producers, who wanted a honey marketing organisation, elected on the widest possible franchise. A division was taken on the amendment. which was rejected by 25 votes tn 33 votes. , ~ The Bill was given a third reading and passed. FRUIT MARKETING

Mr. Cullen, moving the second reading of the Anole and Pear Marketing Bill, explaining that it was in similar terms to his statement when the agreement was reached wth the producers, on the sett’ng uo Of a marketing board. Mr. Cullen said the fruit-prowinn indust’” 7 w'th a maiority of orchids ranging from e’ght to tweiVv was an important one. New Zealand now had some of the world’s most un-to-date and. efficient orcb°rd ; sts. Purina the nast year, there M been a considerable amount of new planting in Wawke’s Rav Nelson. Otago and elsewhere. The Fruitgrowers’ Federation was a keen body and h"d greatly ass'sted return°d servicemen wishing to take up fruitgrowing. . Mr. P ,T HHvoake (Nat.. Pahmtua), said the Government was .iusti-

lied in taking control of the fruit industry during the' war, but not today. 1-ie knew that the industry had finally agreed to most of the provisions of the Bill, but it would have been a very different measure had they been able to write it themselves. They agreed io many things, virtually under duress. The producers would like what the National Barty had consistently advocated—producer control of their own marketing.

BACK-HANDED COMPLIMENT

“We might endeavour to help the Minister Io write the Bill more as la' might have liked to write it. were it not for the Socialist Caucus nt his, elbow," said Mr. Holyoake, forecasting some Opposition amendments in committee. He added, however, that, despite its mild criticisms, Ilin Opposition welcomed the Bill, representing as if did some retreat on the Government's part. "The Bill goes par! of I tie way along the road we have been urging on the Government for thirteen years,” said Mr, Holyoake, “The area of orchards under cultivation in lf).'!6-“7 v/as 24,350 acres, which had declined Io J7,t)o() acres by 1945.” said Mr. Gillespie (Nat.. Hurunui). He attributed the decline Io the fact that the industry wan under Govern men t con tro I. Mr. J. K. McAlpine (Nat.. Selw'/n) said Canterbury growers had less suitable land than growers in Nelson and Hawke’s Bay districts. For that reason they should receive special consideration. Hon. E. L. Cullen replying to the debate, said th e Government was setting up a Board which would choose an independent chairman. The Government wanted the best man it could get, and naturally he himself leaned towards a grower.

Mr. K. J. Holyoake (Nat.. Pahiatua): Why not put it in the Bill ?”

Mr iffiillen said that, as soon as the Bill was passed, the Government would get to work to put the Board into operation. He wished to point out to the Opposition that the Government had conceded certain provisions in the Bill to the growers.

Replying to the Member for Hurunui, the Minister said that the decrease in the number of fruit trees started in 1925. That was long before this Government came into nower. From 1940 to 1948 the number of cases of apples produced in a year had by three hundred thousand. There was more fruit being produced to-day from a lesser acreage. Gate sales in Canterbury had helped the local growers. and he honed that, as a result, nf the regulations, the number of cases allowed to be sold at the gate would be increased.