WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 February 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

DAIRY DELEGATION’S REPORT.

(Special to “Guardi-n”.)

WELLINGTON, February 11

The report submitted to the Dairy Control Hoard by Messrs W. Grounds, J. K. Thacker and W. C. Motion, the overseas delegation, has at last been released for publication. The report is voluminous and apparently deals with a variety of topics relating to the dairy industry and the marketing of butter and cheese. The delegates have rci orded all that they were shown and have done it very well. Rut there is nothing remarkable and nothing outstanding in this, ’the average journalist if commissioned to write a similar report under similar conditions would havti done quite as well if not a deal better. The report as such may be credited with being exhaustive and good, and yet many of the statements and opinions are hoary with age, foi they have been expressed many times before bv others who have spent a month or two in Britain studying the same subject. The delegation, however, has gone further than mcieL ic<:ording their views and impressions for they set out to teach the merchants of England, that is the provision merhow to carry on their business, and they want these merchants to place themselves under the tutelage of the Dairy Control Board. The qualification of the delegates from the commercial point of view is open to doubt. None of the three delegates can be classed as more than a half-baked commercial man, and for' the Hoard to attempt to divert channels of trade that have taken years to build up. on the advice "of the delegation would he sheer folly. What the delegation desires is to control the entire shipments of butter. It is proposed to set up a London office with an expensive governing staff ol lour, one of the staff to bo the nominee of the New Zealand Government, which effectively introduces the political element. The delegation would like all the butter exported from New Zealand to be consigned to the London Agency, and this agency to do the distribution and so to a large extent cut out the importers and wholesalers of Tooley Street. Most competent business men sec danger in this, for they examine it both from commercial psychological points of view ; the delegation lias not looked at it in the same way. How-

ever assuming that the suggestion of the delegation is adopted and the Dairy Control Board takes entire control of the exports, surely it is not expected that such a scheme would suspend the natural laws. Butter must continue to rise and fall according t(> the supply and demand, and that is what is has been doing ever since the first shipment of butter left our shores. The delegation is convinced that a period of fierce competition is immediately ahead of us. That competition will be due lo the' high price attracting fresh competition and nil that the Control Board or the London Agency can do will not prevent us feeling the effects of this competition. There was a time when wheat was grown in New Zealand in large quantities for export, but wc cannot do so now. Competition has driven us out of the market. We must be careful that we are not driven out of the flutter market by this fierce competition. REG 0 L ATI NO SI JI PM ENTS.

The Meat Export Control Board is credited with regulating shipments, and lias done something to steady the British meat market. From this it would appear that shipments go forward regularly with steamers leaving here and arriving at their destination on time and at regular intervals. This is the' impression that one gets from the statement that the Meat Board regulates shipments. What the Hoard actually does is not to regulate shipments, but to limit the quantities that each freezing company can ship each month. I’here is, bun ever, no regular-

j tv ill till' movements of steamers. For instance the s.s. Uimntnkn was fixed to sail for West Const ports of England in December and the s.s. Itnapolm and Wainiate wore fixed to sail in January for tlie same ports, hut all three vessels got away practically together early this month. Three shipments of meat will he dumped into Liverpool almost together, and this is called regulating supplies. The claim that the Meat Board is responsible for the high or prices ruling at Home is utter ruhhish. Mutton and lamb are dear because there is a scarcity of supplies, and not because the .Meat Board is regulating supplies. Farmers everywhere are holding their sheep for wool production, and presently there will lie an expansion in the supplies of mutton and lamb. The present high prices cannot he expected to he permanent. . REFORMERS PERTURBED. If all the information one gets subrosn in the way of gissip is true, t!i .* Reform Party is very much perturbed. Mr .Massey is still a very sick man, and while there is general regret at this the Reformers have to face the situation. Tt is just possible, although one could wish that it is probable, that -Mr Massey may not he present in the coming session, and somebody has got to lend the House. Who is this to he? Many people fancy that Mr Coates will be the selected person, hut this is by .no means if certainity. Mr Donnie Stewart is more likely to fill the position and his health tour just now fits into Ehe scheme of things. In the meanwhile the Labour Party is the only party that is solidly organise 1. What is the inference?