DAIRY CONTROL BOARD

Hokitika Guardian, 12 November 1923, Page 1

DAIRY CONTROL BOARD

[uv TKLECItA I’ll —PICK PRESS ASSOCIATION. TIS AWA.MPTr. Nov. 10. The Dominion President of the Dairy Farmers’ Union (.Mr C. Parker 1 ) has urged tlie .Minister of Agriculture not to rush the election of the Dairy Control Board, on the grounds that the time allowed is totally insufiieiem. Mr Parker contends that time should lie allowed for conferences of Lima fide dairy farmers to he held in every province to select and nominate candidates. instead of a comparatively small meeting at Wellington sele--ting a ticket for the whole island. He contends on behalf of the Union, that the dairy farmers should have been, and still should be. consulted before a ticket is adopted, and the ’.Minister, by his haste, is depriving the producers of their democratic principles. Though candidates other than the ticket may tie nominated the time is too short for communication between the candidates and voters to enable the latter to know the qualifications. Mr Parker refutes the statement frequently published that the Dairy Union endorses the candidatures announced as a ticket. This is not so. The Union will only endorse the candidature of men nominated by the producers themselves, and combined in a ticket representative of all the provinces. Mr Parker adds that he does not know any executive officer at Wellington who will consent to nomination. The Union’s objection to the present ticket is not its personnel, hut its method of nomination. The Minister by rushing the election, denies farmers the right to select their candidates, thus defeating democratic principles.