The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1927. CLEARING THE AIR.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 June 1927, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1927. CLEARING THE AIR.

As a contemporary points out there is at least one merit in Mr Goodfellow’s statement on dairy control, says an exchange—within its limits it is clear, and it goes straight to the point, Mr Goodfellow, who was more responsible for the introduction of control than any other man, is for a clean break in policy. He believes most firmly that absolute control is the right policy, and that had the Board held its ground it would have been justified by results, but he considers that, since price-fix-ing has been abolished, pooling should go too, and the Board restrict its functions within limits similar to those set for itself by the Meat Board. From the beginning it was thought by many that this was as far as the Dairy Board should go, and they will not he displeased if the Board takes Mr Goodfellow's advice. Mr Goodfellow’s influence is such that, despite the talk of “no surrender” in some quarters, there is a fair pr speet of his policy being adopted. His defence of control, however, will not convince everybody. He attributes the Board’s withdrawal to pressure by interested parties iti New Zealand, whereas it is on record that protests came from the Board’s agents in London. Going further hack, he attributes the Board’s weakness to the stand taken by the Labour and Liberal parties when the method of election was being settled. Mr Goodfellow may think he is serving the cause of Reform as well as that of the' farmers by throwing responsibility on to the Opposition parties. As a matter of fact Labour was solidly with Reform in supporting the principle of control,

and Mr Gnodfellow should lie grateful to it for its part ill a strange alliance. He ignores the considerations that there was from the first strong opposition io control, and that no method of election would have silenced it. It was thought by many that control would he kept in the background, as it has been with meat, lull what happened was Hint the Board plunged into it in the face of plain warnings. If Air Good fellow’s advice is, folfowed, and the farmers decide to organise their own marketing, imlrpemlenl’y of Parliament, their action will lie approved by many who have the welfare of the farmer at heart just as much as Air Gnodfellow. Voluntary co-opera-tion, which already has gained the farmer a great deal, is one. thing, but compulsory co-operation is another. No doubt this general statement of the position will liml most favor, for the reason that control as practiced has brought about a great loss to the dairy farmers of the- Dominion, and tin* inconvi liienec and klhiiiji resulting, has meant a great depreciation in the value el dairy properties. The real set. against control came from at Home. It is manifest that if all had gone weli on the Home market there’could have been no justification for any opposition to control here. But business went amiss, because of the buyers’ opposition in London, and the Board's agents realised that and notified New Zealand. The farmers need to get the best price possible, and having tried direct control and failed they arc not likely as a- body to favor further experiment along lines which brought disaster to them. Co-operative marketing is another matter, and a free choice to go where demand calls for supply will suit the farmers host. Matters are improving now in the general outlook, and it will he a great lift to New Zealand if prices continue to linn at Home. There ate outside contributory causes to believe that possible, a fact which shows at once tlie value of an independent instead of a compulsory market.