DAIRY POOL CRISIS

Hokitika Guardian, 29 April 1926, Page 1

DAIRY POOL CRISIS

MEETING OVER BOARD’S ELECTION. [by telegraph—per press association.] WELLINGTON, April 28. Jhe Town Hall Concert Chamber "as this morning crowded with dairy farmers for the meeting called to decide the method of electing members to the Dairy Control Board. The- meeting was convened by tlie Government. The Board having Been asked to conduct it, selected Air W. Grounds as chairman, and Hon. O. Hawken was

present. The first move was a motion that the meeting select its own chairman. Tlie atmosphere immediately became stormy with continual expressions of dissent and approval.

Air Grounds said lie would prefer

to bo on the floor, but lie- regarded the responsibility placed upon him as a duty. He declared the motion entirely irregulhr. He said lie had for the

moment lost consciousness of the fact that- lie was chairman of the Dairy Control Board. He had lieen appointed and any motion that lie retain or leave the chair would be out of order. The ruling having been accepted, Hon AH Hawken addressed the meeting, and said it was called to assist the Government in working out the system of the election. The Act had lieen brought into force by the dairymen, and the Government was not likely to interfere unduly with the business of tho dairymen. He hoped the meeting would keep the interests of tho dairy industry at heart. Mr Grounds continued in the chair. AH Veitcli, ALP., moved that members of the Board he elected on the single ward system, six wards for the North, and six wards for the South Island, one producer one rote. The roll was made. YYTjen the name of Air William Goodfellow, (a prominent control advocate) was called with 157 votes, there was a chorus of astonishment, for most of the names represented one to four votes. Practically all names called were answered. Here a voice asked: Are tlioso 157 votes present? The Chairman : They arc. The motion was put after considerable discussion, hut with the reference to the one producer one vote omitted. The voices were about equal. The Chairman said there would have to he a roll call, and the question of how tho votes were to be counted was raised. The Chairman then declared the motion carried. AH Sinclair, who had seconded Air Veitch’s motion, challenged the ruling, and called upon those who agreed with him to retire, and a largo part of tho meeting withdrew. Air Grounds said what had just happened showed clearly that the business | would never have goT past, the basis of voting. A division on the motion w|as then demanded, and the votes were taken by roll, after which the meeting adjourned for lunch, prior to the announcement of the result. WELLINGTON, April 28.

Those dissenting to the conduct of tho Dairy meeting to-day, held a separate meeting, saying that they had stood enough. They claimed that the

numerical force of their exodus was 83. and that they represented 113 factories, 21,264 tons of butter, and 11,693 tons of cheese, and forty per rent. of the producers of the Dominion. Afotions were carried protesting against the mode of the election of Air Grounds as Chairman of the Conference to-day, and also favouring n sin-gle-ward system of election, each delegate having one vote for every butter and cheese factory represented by him as from the Daily Division last year. 1925. ’ The meeting endeavoured to arrange a meeting with Rt. Hon. AH Coates, who said he could not see them until the other meeting had concluded. They will wait on the Prime Alinister tomorrow. BOARD WINS OUT. WELLINGTON, April 28. Tho Dairy Conference, after a discussion on the question, resolved itself into a motion in favour of a directors’ direct vote, and an amendment for a compulsory suppliers’ vote. A division was taken. It resulted in the amendment being defeated by 558 votes to 212. The individual voting was: 161 against, and 67 for the amendment. The resolution was then carried on the voices.

Hon AH Gow moved: “That this conference desires to place on record its appreciation of the work done on behalf of the dairy industry by the Dairy Control Board, and endorses the decision to bring into operation absolute control in August.” Air Grounds was cheered when he rose to reply He refuted misrepresentations. Developments, ho said, had to be kept pace with. The Board wish to serve and to protect the industry.