The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4th, 1925. DAIRY CONTROL.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 March 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4th, 1925. DAIRY CONTROL.

i'll k Dairy Control Board Inis in,solved on complete control of the sale of dairy produce, a decision which has; '..cen endorsed by the Dairy Council consisting of delegates from most dairy centres in the Dominion. The decision was reached alter a statement had heen made by Mr W. Grounds, chairman ol tiie New Zealand Dairy Produce Control Hoard as follows : —The decision of the Dairy Produce Control Hoard to take absolute control of all shipments of dairy produce as from August Ist., 192(5, will involve the prohibition of all f.o.b. sales by dairy companies. 'lbis will not prevent such sales being made by the Board, if, in its opinion, forward sales would tend to stabilise the market. In the event of such sales being made they will he on behalf of the industry, not individual factories. Finance will be secured from London .merchants. Advances will he made by the Board, instead of the agents of individual firms, against shipments or store warrants as may lie necessary. There will be no further need for the retention of individual agents, the cost of whose maintenance will be saved the industry and possibly be sufficient to pay the cost of market-' nig organisation and expenses of the Board. .Reservations of supplies for equalising shipments and to secure a continuity of distribution, will necessitate pooling of returns. Advances will lie made to all factories on an even basis, according to grade, while final settlements will lie made on a basis to secure even payment for similar grades to all factories. The grading will be done as at present by the Government Dairy Division. It is proposed to establish a superfine or choicest grade in addition to the present first and second grades. The exact level of quality at which this will he divided from the first (trade lias not vet-heen decided, hut will lie made at a point likely to promote effort to secure inclusion within that classification. The differentiation in price between the grades paid to factories will lie based upon the difference in price in actual realisations. It is proposed to adopt a national brand, competitive designs for which will lie sought from the public. When selected, it is intended to make this the central feature of all advertising in Biitnin and elsewhere. Only the “first” and choicest” qualities will he exported under the national brand. Supplies will go to London merchants, in the first instance, in the proportions received by them during the last few years. Each merchant will receive as far as possible the factory brands lie has been accustomed to (handle. Opportunities will be provided for the inclusion of any other merchant whose position indicates a probability of efficient service. New centres of distribution will he organised. Sidling efficiency will afterwards determine the How of supplies through each channel. On their arrival in London, the Board’s representatives will make arrangements with distributing merchants for co-ordinated effort, as far as may oe realisable under agreements bv consent, for the season ]925-26, along the lines of the Board’s ultimate policy. The shipping necessities of the Board’s policy have lieen placed before the shipping companies. After long consideration of alternative courses and an interpretation of the legal position by their solicitor, the Board decided that to attempt control by suspension of shipments would be dangerous, than the present indiscriminate and unorganised attempt by individual factories in suspending shipments and price-fixing may result in loss and prejudice the conduct of regularised business and that anything less than absolute control precludes the development of other markets and centres of distribution. Its full operation was deferred until 1926 to give ample time for the establishment of the organisation necessary to efficiently carry the responsibilities involved

The possibility of some hopeful results from the operations of the League of Nations is suggested by the following observations of an -English paper on the subject. The paper goes on to .remark that undoubtedly the outstanding event in the year’s work of the League of Nations has been the elaboration of the “Protocol for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes’’ by the Fifth Assembly. This document is an attempt to complete the system of arbitration laid down in the Covenant to make all recourse to war illegitimate. It is hoped iu this way to

nice a general simultaneous reduction

of armaments possible; the coming into force of the Protocol depends upon the success of the International Conference for the reduction of armaments to he summoned on June 15, to which Geimany. Russia, and the I'nited Stales, as well as the members ol the League, will he invited. In addition to the draft convention for the control of the traflic in arms and ammunition drawn up with the collaboration of an official I'nited .States representative, which will he discussed at a special conference on May I. the competent League bodies are preparing a convention on the private manufacture of arms and ammunition. The Council have drawn up a scheme for the exercise of the 1 .e-ague's right of inv -s----tigation. if and when required, mto the armaments of the ex-enemy Po«ers, with a view to ascertaining whether they conform to the standards laid down in the peace treaties. Ihe Financial and Economic Organisation are continuing their preliminary work on a number of questions, such as double taxation, fiscal evasion, protection against unfair competition, protection of consumers against worthless goods, the treatment of foreign nations and enterprises, and preparations for a conference to “remove export and import restrictions and prohibitions,” which it is hoped will he a sequel to tlic conference on the simplification and standardisation of Customs formalities. In due course all these activities should ripen into international coirentions which will do a good deal to facilitate and promote intcrnalioi 1 trade. The Transit Organisation are similarly engaged in work on mattes concerning road traffic, inland and maritime navigation, etc., which, together with the railways and waterways and free ports conventions that have 2 already been adopted, are laying the foundation for easy and rapid international transport and communications.