WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 2 July 1925, Page 1

WELLINGTON NEWS

CONTROL BOARDS CRITICISM

(Special to I ‘'Guardian”.) WELLINGTON. June 29. The. decision of the Dairy Control Board to establish absolute control from August Ist., 1926, comes in for a good deal of criticism from those engaged in the produce trade in Britain. The “Grocers’ Review” publishes a communication from Liverpool in which the writer says: “The full meaning of the new ‘control’ is not quite realised by the British public, nor by the British traders. One has only to examine N.Z. politics to find that the

"hard-done-by farmers' now dominate the N.Z. Parliament. One would say without fear of contradiction that the. farmers would never he satisfied if their returns were all profit. And these are the men who arc dictating how the fond of Great Britain shall he handled to their advantage. They have already dictated to the N.Z. dairy companies under most severe penalties that they must not sell Britain any or their produce. All of it must be sold to the Control Board. All of it must he passed over to this Board, which will regulate the price and sav how much they will give the companies for it. Produce will ho mortgaged to a hank and only a certain percentage ol the a'tual worth . f the goods will bo paid to the dairy company pending the final settling of the goods when sold in Britain. A portion of the Board is to lie installed in London to regulate shipments and prices here. What we will not have 1 rutu an Imperial Government arc we to tolerate front a Dominion Government ! The answer should he “No”. As we all know control means fat salaries and .secure jobs for a few permanent officials to the detriment of the British public, whether control is forced on us by tin Imperial or a Dominion Government-. Therefore if this dominion control means imperial preference the answer .should he ‘Wo don't want your produce.' because Imperial preference ■should mean ‘give and take’, hut it appears that the colonics want to take all without giving, anil, -what is more, put all British traders out of business.’’ Publicity of this character is detrimental and it is remarkable what a full grasp the retailers have of the meaning of control. It i,s safe to say that how and when the Control Board fixes on compulsory control it will meet with considerable opposition from the grocers of Britain. However, it is interesting to note that the price of butler is being well maintained owing to the adverse dimat conditions in Europe. Flow long th is going to last it is difficult to say. hut it is to be Imped that it will In-i long enough to enable the accumulated stocks to he cleared. WOOL CONTROL.

AVoolbrukors have no sympathy with the control system for wool suggested hv Sir John Higgins to the graziers of Australia. Not only do they think that such a world commodity cannot he placed under control hut also that it is unwise to attempt to arrange a corner just mm because the financial and industrial conditions are detrimental to such a venture. Australia, it is admitted has a monopoly for lino wool production, for its rivals produce comparatively little, and this may he a temptation to those who wish to try a system of control. The position is different with respect to crossbred wool. X.Z.'s production is a mere trifle, and to seek to control the N.Z. clip would he to give our rivals the benefit of our stupidity.

With the hoary carry-over of the decreased consumption ami the extensive use of substitutes there is no real shortage, and users can alibi'd to stand oil' and liii\- from hand to mouth. Trade renditions everywhere are bad. Civil strife, revolutions and wars are still hindering the return to normal conditions. Trade is hampered everywhere and purchasing power is restricted. It seems to he the wrong time to accumulate stocks which must ho the result of fixing prices and restricting offerings.

Wool men closely associated with the trade believe that the tost course for X.Z. wool growers to adopt is to meet the market without sacrificing the wool. Current prices are slightly above eommamleer values, the values that growers were glad to accept. Costa of production arc higher than they were in pre-war days, so are wool prices, which leave the grower with a margin ol profit, It is not thought that the Australian scheme will he strongly supported for many oT the bigger squatters are very much opposed

to it. As it is a voluntary pool there C no need for anyone to join in who is not in favour of it. At flic meeting hold in Melbourne last Tuesday Messrs i;. Tripp and W. K. Nicholson from X.Z. were present, but they were there as private individuals and not as delegates from or representatives ot the Dominion. No doubt they will submit a report, to the Wool Committee or the Government. hut in any case they have no power to commit the wool growers of X.Z. to any Australian scheme.