HONEY CONTROL

Hokitika Guardian, 9 June 1927, Page 4

HONEY CONTROL

recent cfuticwms. a spirited reply. C'll IUSTCtI UKCII, Juno S. A >pi riled defence of the Honey Control Board's policy was made at tin- beekeepers' conference yesterday afternoon by Mr iV Oibb (Southland', a member of the Hoard. A telegram was read Horn Mr John Murdoch (Boss) apologising for his absence as he was conlined to lied with inlluenza. “I trust the conference will refrain from personalities and confine itself to remedying the present dissatisfaction amongst beekeepers, ’ the te! egrn m eo 11 cl uded. Mr (iihh said that he was extremely sorry Air Aturdoch was not present hecatise he intended to take him to task for some of his writings, doings, and sayings throughout the Dominion. Mr Murdoch, he said, had taken no part ill the organisation oi the honey industry of Now Zealand; whatever port he had taken was an attempt to break that- organisation. As to his allegation that returned soldiers were going out -of beekeeping because they could not make it pay. ho said that many of them had only six hives, and it was no wonder they could not make beekeeping successful. I hey had Started with too little capital and too few hives. He wits just a? sorry as anyone that "returned soldiers had iail_ ed to make a success oi beekeeping, but he did not think the blame should he laid at the door of the Control Board.

As to Mr Murdoch's assertion that the retail price of Now Zealand honey at Home was from 1 Gd to Is Oil and the producers were only receiving lid to sd, Mr (libit said he had heard of honey being retailed at 2s (id. hut ho asked: What has the retail price to do with us 'l ilc believed that the dairy produce control people had tried to fix the retail price and they had fallen in. The Money Control Board had not tried to do so. ’lhey had arranged for lib jars to he delivered to friends in England and Wales for Ids per dozen. They wire not getting Is (id or U !)<!; he only wished that they were getting these prices. Mealing witch the 5 per cent commission for handling New Zealand honey, liesaid that they got value as their agents said that New Zealand honey did not get into the hands of blenders to mix with Jamaica honey to bhe detriment of their good New Zealand honey; also their agents saw that their honey got into the hands of reputable firms who would not dishonour the fair name of New Zealand honey. Their agents got five per cent and they were earning it. and there was no firm in Christchurch that would handle it under 10 tier cent. Prior to control, Mr Murdoch lotiud that he could get from .£7O to £SS per ten lor his "ihoney. as the result oi the advertising campaign of the 11.1'.A., anti he took advantage of that advertising without paying for it. When the Control Board was set up he was held as in a vice, and bad to pay Id per Hi for advertising. As long as there was tt Control Board such exporters could lie forced to do their hit; Mr Murdoch had not been doing his hit. Dealing with the support .Mr Murdoch had got from some Chambers of Commerce. Mr (.iihh said that the policy of those bodies was against control, either of dairy produce or honey. A member of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce bad written to the Tooley street merchants asking them to write to New Zealand condemning control, and the Honey Control Board had got that letter. Mr A. Baty (Greymoui'i), in hacking up Mr Gibb’s statement, said that Mr Murdoch's statement that he (the speaker) was going out ol beekeeping was absolutely wrong.

Air A. R. Bates (Taranaki) said that in a statement of costs submitted by Mi 'Murdoch to the Hon. -Mr Hav. ice it Mr Murdoch had duplicated one charge. He (the speaker' did not say that tuc mistake was made purposely, but the Minister considered that the statement had discredited Mr .Murdoch completely. After some further discussion, Mr AY. AYatson (Geraldine) moved and Air C. A. Popo (Canterbury) seconded the following:—

“That this meeting of beekeepers and delegates, representing the honey industry from practically tho whole of New Zealand, wish to express our complete agreement with the policy of the Honey Control Board ; we consider that the Board has acted in our best interests. and that the price finally received by the beekeeper is higher than it would he if the policy were reversed, or abandoned; we desire to express our confidence in the present members of the Board, Messrs Clark. Rentoul, and Gibb, and consider that the business of the Honey Control Board has been capably atul carefully administered. AYo consider that any attempt to induce the Government to interfere with tho work of the Board should he strongly resisted; as we are satisfied that the Board as now constituted meets the most urgent needs of the beekeepers. On being put to the meeting, the motion was unanimously agreed to.