WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 August 1927, Page 1

WELLINGTON NEWS

CONTROL BOARDS. (.Special to " Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, Aug. IS. Eor some considerbale time past it has been considered by many commercial men that it would be in the interests of tho Dominion if the various control boards were fused, and one useful organisation formed and placed under the control of business men, not elected but selected for their ability.; At all events it is considered advisable if not necessary that the two larger

boards—the Meat Control Board and P the Dairy Control Board—should amal~ ganiate. This it is contended would make for efficiency, and save the producers many hundreds of pounds. The ’ Meat Control Board lias a more or less efficient representation in London and ■Mr Forsyth, the Board’s representative, has now been long enough in London to have acquired a thorough knowledge of marketing methods in the great .Metropolis. It would only be necessary to make some small additions to the staff to cover all the work likely to be. demanded by the marketing of dairy produce. The actual work would ho restricted to keeping in touch with storage facilities, making special investigations on occasions and providing -statistical' information. There is no difficulty about the latter for the average prices arc posted up each week in the Produce Exchange and it is these prices which are cabled to New Zealand. Tlie amalgamation would result in a great saving of expense, and the levies both for meat and dairy produce could bo substantially reduced and tile producers would benefit. The Amalgamated Dairies, Ltd., recently formed by Mr \\\ Goodfellow, is to have the services of Mr ,1. B. "Wright, who has been London Manager for the Dairy Control Board, and while ho will be pi'aying Ilfs own game, the effect of his work must prove beneficial to the trade generally. Of course amalgamation will necessitate legislation, and there is where tlie, difficulty arises, for the Government is either apathetic about tho matter, or far too seared to deal with the subject. If the. right thing were done the sections of tlie Acts giving tho Control Boards powers of compulsion should bo repealed, and a private bill oplTlio matter is before Parliament, but there Is i'ittle hope of the measure being passed. The Meat Board is said to bo contemplating providing its own cold storage in London, and it is to be hoped that very close consideration is being given lo tlie matter, for it means competition with vested interests and those interests iiv every powerful. It will mean also a great deal of money for buildings and machinery, and if there is any loss of business that loss will fail on the producers. Cold storage charges have been reduced recently, but not to an appreciable extent. TRADE BAROMETER.

The overseas trade barometer of fcTio Dominion for July released by the Customs Department enables a survey of the trade of New Zealand for the ten months of the produce year 1926-27. The exports for the month of July amounted to £2,930,972, as compared with £3,43(5/193, a decrease of £505,723, and the imports were £3,249,796 against £3,021,979, a shrinkage of £227,817. For the ten months to the end of July the exports were valued at £41,451,968, as compared with £43,976,185 in the corresponding'ten'iftbnths of last year, there being thus a shrinkage of £2,524,217 and this cannot he viewed with satisfaction. There is little hope of August and September showing any substantial improvement, for prices of the primary products are still low, and there is comparatively little available for export. hooking hack it is seen that the exports for the year ended .September. . 1926, totalled £48,417,933, and this represented a decline of £7,328,819 on t!ic previous year, and it is evident that the current produce year will show a further decline, which will make the conditions very awkward. The imports for the ten months to the end of July last amounted to £3,759,395, as compared with £41,909,509, a decrease of £4,150,114, and this is a redeeming lecture of the trade returns. The result for the ten months is that the exports exceed the imports by £3,629.573, while for the corresponding period of last year the excess was £2,066,676. For the eorrospondnig period of last .'•oar the excess was £2.066,676. For the year ended September 30tli, 1926, tbo imports totalled £51.625.968, and exceeded tbo exports by £3,208,030. The trade balance is likely to show a bettor result this year.