WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 September 1926, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

-DAIRY BOARD ELECTIONS. A BLOW 'J'O ABSOLUTE CONTROL. (Special to “ Guardian.”) I < 'WELLINGTON, September 24. The opponents of absolute control by t the Dairy Board of dairy produce in- , tended for export naturally are elated j by the return of their nominees at ( the recent, election of members ot tbo | Board. They declared that it marks a , stroll}' revulsion of feeling anion- the - producers against the ’’compulsion ’ , policy of the Board and the beginnine of a new era in the handling of j theh - exported butter and cheese, the , large majorities recorded by tlieir two candidates against the two former members of the Board, both stiong ac vacates of 11 compulsion,” certainly give colour to tlieir claim. Their two successful candidates. Mr J- R- C-om-gan and .Mr T. -M. Timpany. both advocate the " sane control.” as they call it, which would give the producers all the advantages of effective co-oper-ation ill reducing charges, regulating shipments and facilitating sales ill the oversea markets, without depriving the vendors of any of their legitimate rights in the disposal of their own properly. This point, the opponents of "absolute control” emphasises, is important because the “ compulsionists ” are putting it about that the “ freemarketers ” arc seeking a return to the old conditions ill order that the " speculators ” and " middle-men may have the producers at their mercy. SANE CONTROL. As a matter of plain fact, Mr Corrigan and Mr Timpany, during the campaign from which they have just emerged triumphantly, contended for the protection of the producer from exploitation even more strenuously than did their opponents. They wanted the services of the Board to he more fully than they are at present at the disposal ol the dairy Dinners. They wanted the Board to he tlieir adviser and helper and protector clown to the smallest detail. But they did not want the Hoard to seize the farmers’ produce as it left the factory door and leave them with no further word as to its disposal. The opponents of “ compulsion ” seemed honestly to believe that if the Board surrendered its arbitrary powers in this direction and offered the producers a service only equal to that provided by the merchants and other intermediaries it would lie entrusted with practically the whole lot. Whether or not a board of amateurs, so to speak, could make a success of such a huge undertaking would remain to be seen ; but it is the presence of compulsion that is frightening the producers away from the experiment. I’ll At TIC'ALLY LAND NATIONALISATION. A man of affairs, whose opinions are not shaped solely by ’is personal interests. discussing the position to-day, referred more particularly to its economic aspects. “The Government has created a very dangerous precedent.” he said, 11 in putting one of the main planks of the La hour Party cm the Statute Book and sane -people ought to he looking at what may happen il it is allowed to remain there. The Board still has a majority of “ oompulsionists ” among its members, and no one can tell what it will do next. But it ought to bo clearly understood that the Government, in effect, is taking away from every dairy Dinner the freehold of his properly. Land values are determined by the amount ot proiluco that can he taken off the land. If you confiscate the dairy Dinners’ produce and put it into a common pool, you inevitably confiscate and pool Iris hind. He cannot have his produce nationalised and hold his land as a freehold. The farmer only just now is beginning to realise what is happening to him and this week’s election shows what he is thinking about the matter.. Had the whole of the members of the Board submitted themselves to the ballot, ’ compulsion ’ would have made its final exit and the farmer would he on the way to recover the freehold of his laud and the politicians would he feeling ashamed of themselves.” This auf’ority, it. should he mentioned, is neither a speculator nor a middle-man. THE FUTURE. It was put to the Government strongly when the Dairy Board and its policy were under diseussjon in the House of Representatives last session, that all the members of the Board - should resign in order that the dairy suppliers might have an opportunity to say whether or not they were satislied with their representation. There were difficulties in the way for which the House could find no solution and the mein hers were saved from the' ordeal of a fresh election. It seems fairly obvious, however, that the constituencies have very materially changed their opinion of " compulsion ’ since the' first general election took place. When Mr Dalrymple was elected as a compulsionist three years ago, under the old system, he received 32.10 more votes than did his nearest anti-compulsion opponent. 11l the recent election lie received only 42 per cent of the votes polled and his opponent 58 per cent. In the South Island the change over is even more marked. Mr John Fisher, a compulsionist, was third on the poll thro years ago with 3,563 votes. In the recent election he received only 22.51 per cent of the votes polled, while his anti-eompul-sionist opponent received 77.49 per cent. ■>-Adcled to the troubles of the majority on the Board is the report that Mr Irons, the vice-chairman, wlio was re-elected unopposed the other day, is returning to the Dominion a convert to anti-compulsion. '