WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 13 April 1926, Page 1

WELLINGTON NEWS

BACON AND HAM. (Special to " Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, April 9. The farmers of New Zealand have not yet awakened to the fact that the fug is worth a great deal more attention than is being paid to it. There is a wide market for pig products in New Zealand and the export possibilities are tremendous. Tlie domestic consumption would extend greatly, but high prices impose a cheek. Pig products ought really to he the cheapest meat in the country, but in reality they are about the dearest. From lime to time small samples of Now Zealand bacon have been sent to the London market, creating such a favourable impression, as to induce one or Iwo London wholesalers to visit the Dominion, with the object of entering into contracts for supplies, a merchant being willing to take 21.000 carcases per annum. Mr K. AY. Corriug. instructor in swine husbandry for the Agricultural Department confirms H iand says fliat il was quife true that a, London firm of provision merchants was prepared to take 2.000 carcases a month for 12 months, but they were not prepared to take any eareuses simply because, it was that of a pig. The bacon would have 0i he up fo -ample. The- trouble was that New Zealand could as yet not supply order- such as this in bulk. Pig breeders were seatiered widely all over tlie* Dominion. and it would bo a difficult matter to collect the carcases at one freezing works, \ibero I bey could lie graded. Another diffionliy- was that there vas not sufficient- storage room available at; the present time where supplies < niibl Im*. held limit tlie reipiired amount was ready to go forward. Air (’orriuge Inrtlier -laics that then- i- a leaven working amongst liinueis lor better marketing conditions. Good work is being done in this direction by pig el libs, especially in the Waikato and at Dannevirke. banners have at hot realised thai if they are to lie -uilceesS. fid v.ilh pig-raising they will have in co-operate. This is gradually coming about. and there are big possibilit.ieahead of the industry in i he DominionIn Denmark, which is about the size iif the Taranaki province, the pig industry has already outgrown the dairying industry in value. bins shows I he possibilities which are ahead of the bacon industry in this country. H Dominion farmers u i-.li to become established on lie- London Market they will have to grow the right type ol baron pig. ami see tbal regular supplies are available. It is no! a (pie.— lion of market. iur that exists, it is more a matter of iim diietien; and quality and quanlily iliat- is needed. Here is a want thai Die farmer- should endeavour to meet, and there is profit in ihe industry. CO.M PULSORV CONTROL.

The Compulsory Control ol the marketing of Dairy Produce and frozen meat continue to provide newspaper readers with columns of matter. One advocate of compulsion quoted the fact that there existed compulsory electoral registartion, then why not compulsory control of dairy produce marketing. There are many measures of compulsion that a free people have to submit to. AYo are compelled to behave- ourselves or suffer the consequences, but there is no anology between such compulsion. and the compulsory control to which the Dairy Control Board is committed.

The Board intends to forcibly interfere with the rights of individuals to dispose, as they choose, of what is their own undoubted property. 'The advocates of control always overlook this aspect of the matter. Under the Dairy Board’s scheme the f.o.b. buyer will bo eliminated. An unwarranted forcible interference with tlie rights ol the individual buyer and individual seller. Tlmre arc many proletary Dairy Factories and these concerns prefer to run their factories in their own way and as they think best. They do not want a, body of men elected by a minority, and who may or may not have the intelligence to handle the business effectively. to interfere. If tlie members of' the Board were personally responsible for any losses incurred it might be a different matter, but they are irresponsible. They can do no wrong, no matter what stupidity they may indulge in. Tt is the principle of control, the interference of an elected body with the rights of the individual that meets with objection and strenuous opposition. The control ot Dairy Produce, meat, fruit, etc., is group control, which is syndicalism, which is worse, than Socialism. Socialism in theory, seeks to promote common interests, hut syndicalism magnifies sectional interest, and promotes endless antagonism. Dairy Control and Job Control are practically the same. AVith the Dairy Control Board the farmers, in effect, endeavour to control their jobs as dairymen, and the precedent, set up is a vicious one. ft will be impossible with tins pvcccdent available, to prevent the workers hv organisation going m for job control Some dairv farmers refuse to see „nv dangers in the situation nevertheless there is a. great deal of dangei ahead. __