WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 25 July 1927, Page 3

WELLINGTON NEWS

MERGER OF CONTROL BOARDS. (Special to " Guardian.” i WELLINGTON, July 22. Now that compulsory control of the marketing of dairy produce has been tried and condemned, there is very little hope of it being repeated unless the country suffers from the misfortune ol having Mr H. E. Holland as Prime Minister. It would be advisable to take this [lower of compulsory control from the hoards that possess ii. so that the risk may he avoided of compulsory control being put into operation in the future. With this out ot the way the various hoards would be reduced to a level, that being so it is difficult to sec why there should he so many hoards to perform the same function. It wotii'd he infinitely better to pass fresh legislation establishing an entirely new marketing hoard restricted to three members to he selected and not elected, in order that good sound business ability may lie secured. Such a hoard could more effectively deal with iiisuraiue, freight and regulation of shipments than van the present hoards, and better and cheaper arrangements could lie made for supervision at the London end. The question of merging the Dairy Control Board with the .Meat Control Board came up for consideration at the last meeting of the Dairy Board, but definite action was postponed to give the newly-elected members an opportunity of discussing the subject. 1 lie present position of the hoard is quite unsatisfactory. 'That the effects ol control of butter as initiated by Hie Board were harmful to the New Zealand product is shown by a New Zealander now resident in England and in no way interested in the trade. Ibis gentleman managed to influence some of the groceis in his town to stuck New Zealand butter in preference to Continental. When (ontrol came into operation the effect is described by ihe correspondent thus: “Our grocers stopped their purchases of New Zealand hutter, and told us they were unable to secure supplies as the importers had taken up a very autocratic attitude and would not put the butter on the market as it arrived in the ordinary way, lint were restricting supplies and keeping prices above the economic level. Later on supplies were available and the effects of the mistaken policy became evident. After conciliating the trade, unnecessarily disturbed and offended, the consumer finds fault with the hutter and is declining it. We found it ‘ stingy.’ and without professing to understand the chemical changes involved, I put the trouble down to the effects of overlong storage, converting the finest hutter in the world into a rather unpleasant substance which my household refused to eat.” THE DEBT PROBLEM.

One of the greatest problems that face traders just now is the collection of debt. In the Magistrate’s Courts in all the cities and towns of New Zealand debt suits take up a large proportion of flic time of the magistrate’s, and judgment does not in most eases mean recovery of the debt. But New Zealand is not singular in this respect for mail news shows that the same trouble is being experienced in England. The position has become so had that efforts are being made to devise means by which some better form of protection nm.v he afforded traders from this source of loss. It is not that the national standard of honesty is lower tliaii formerly, and the opinion is expressed that one of the principal | causes of the present stale of affairs is the high standard of living which ' everyone now expects to enjoy. 11 funds are short, as they olten are. somebody has to hoar the brunt, and that somebody is generally the unfortunate retailer. But the retailer cannot he held free of blame. Retailers are too ready to give credit to all and sundry and much too often they show a readiness to accept valueless cheques. Keen competition is no doubt respon- ] sihle for much of this, hut with feder-' ations. associations and unions it ought not to he a difficult matter for those in trade to form sectional' unions, with strict rules ns to giving credit. They do things differently in Germany. There a creditor has the right to advertise debts for sale. lie takes legal proceedings in a court to prove his debt, and the debtor is informed that if the account is not paid hv a certain date it will he advertised for sale. The creditor is entitled to publish this advertisement in the district where the debtor lives, and the mere threat to do so often results in bringing about a quick settlement.