DAIRY CONTROL.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 March 1925, Page 4

DAIRY CONTROL.

A EIGHT IN PROSPECT. WELLINGTON, Alaieli 2. A strong effort i.s to be made by opponents ot lompleto i until I ot the export of dairy piodmc to induce the ton eminent to i-.-.i:..- to issue an Ordor-iii-i. otmeil which, will make the scheme operative under statutoiy power. One of the iutlucniial men. .meorued in tins movement, win. h is likely to develop into active shape within the next few weeks, when a cunfercme of ihrcatvntciied intero'ls '.ill to* held ter the purpose of approaching the Government. h; icily outlined to n representative of the “Lyttelton Times" the case against <mu) lete control, * Su-Ti a drasl ic step might." he .-aid.

‘li- pi i in.-d in ua r I line, hilt under present i imiiitions. with everything running satisfactorily, there is nothing whi ii uiini'.t be i—uu-died by good organisation and leadership under a nys-t.-ui of partial cotili-ul, exactly as the Meat Roard is .successfully running, its busin,.s. 1 know that the Dairy Hoard would have been unanimous on limited (ontrol, hut there i.s hound tu he opposition from a number of factories n>w that the hoard has approved ol absolute control. Seventeen factories in .Southland ajone have written protesting against the hoard’s policy. FARMERS’ VOTE ANALYSED. “Here is a point which has not 10-(i-ivcil due consideration. When this Act was voted on, after two or three \ears' discussion, when everyone should have had the opportunity of understanding the position, the votes for control amounted to -111 per cent. Those who voted in opposition totalled 1, per cent., while b’t per cent, of dairy farmers did nut vote at all. The hoard has not had time lo feel its feel. Its delegates’ report has only just been circulated. Why did it not wait lo try out it' powers as the Aleut Board has dune before entering on so revolutionary a policy? -■There is a financial aspect which r 11«hoard lias ignored. It is making a drastic change at the most inopportune time. North Island dairy farmers are mu in a good financial position. They have heavy commitments, an,l a'e getting extensive support from firms which for the last thirty or forty year, have I ecu engaged in the dairy export industry. Those firms help farmers in various ways, which the Dairy Board, being a statiuory body, cannot follow. Usually a farmer, when commencing to produce butter and (-lii-e.se in the spring, is short of money. He lias had to spend hut his income lias not commenced. The (inns are prepared lo make him -uih.stantiul cash advances against his produce, even if it means a debit at that time, but the hoard's advances will he very conservative. as they are going to store and incur risks.” BRITAIN’S ATTITUDE.

The informant referred to a suggestion recently made by Sir C'hio/.za ; Money, M.P.. that a purchasing hoard should be established by the British Government to deal in dairy produce, meat, wheat, and other lood requirements of Britain, “ft this occurs, ’ continued the dairying industryeoLM continued the dairying authority. 1 the New Zealand hoard will have against it 5n its efforts to raise prices a political hoard hacked by the British Government. From an Imperial point of view T could imagine nothing more objectionable. It has been suggested that it is to the interest of firms making private purchases of New Zealand butter for export that prices should be j low, but in actual practice what happens is that these firms, in order to maintain shipments make their purchases. and if the market falls their intense anxiety is to keep up the price in line with what they already have paid. The removal of the competitive element is very serious. The hoard is going to ask for a certain price, and no more in its dealings on behalf of the factories operating in ' New Zealand. If the board wishes to extend its markets, could it not do ns the Meat Board is doing? The latter

needed no compulsion to make shipments to Italy.” A LEGAL Ol'i WON. The informant mentioned that the interests opposing absolute control had I obtained an opinion from Mr Skorrett K.C.. clearly indicating that the hoard’s policy meant absolute prohibition of sales of dairy produce in New Zealand for export. Counsel advised that if the board decided on absolute control it was strictly governed by the Dairy Control Act and there could cb no half measures. Being a statutory board, it must follow the statute explicitly, and it must control all dairy produce for export. Once a factory placed its export produce in cool store it teased to control it. 'L'ho board could do what it liked, anil pay the factory from the pooled results, A question to elicit the extent of purchases in New* Zealand lor export produced the reply that it varied aecording to the season, but last yeai between ten thousand ami twelve thousand tons of butter and cheese wore handled under this system.