WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 31 May 1928, Page 4

WELLINGTON NEWS

CONTROL HOARDS AND WASTE. (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, May 28. The rumpus between Messrs Grounds and Goodfellow at the last meeting of the Dairy Control Hoard exposes not merely the uselessness and wastefulness of the Hoard, hut also its costliness, for if is a drain on the slender income of the dairy farmers. It, appears that .Mr Grounds, the ( bairman of the Hoard, has been in the habit of writing for the ‘‘ Exporter ' a review of affairs that are dealt with by the Hoard each month without any reference to the members of the Hoard. Sometime ago the Hoard decided that all factories should send in returns of f.o.h. sales fourteen days after shipment, and also wished to collect copies of London account sales. Some com-

panies have refused this information, the principal offender being the New Zealand Dairy Coy., of which Tor William Goodfellow is head and front. -Mr Goodfellow says lie has refused to furnish this information because ”it was an utterly stupid idea.” Furthermore, he holds that such collection of tile particular information is preliminary to the formation of a national mar-

keiing scheme, as conceived l>y Mr Grounds, which, without price-fixing, lie contends, would land the industry in an intolerable position. ' Even ‘the initial steps made so far are cumbersome, dangerous and annoying to th • industry.” MY Goodfcllow’s views on marketing are just its crude and dangerous as anything put forward by the C liairmaii. The Commonwealth Dairv Export Control Hoard has the same interests to conserve in Australia as the Now Zealand Dairy Board has for the dairy farmers of the Dominion, hut the policies adopted by the two hoards are very different. The attempt to control prices in overseas markets has earned for the New Zealand Board the contempt of traders who have not that full confidence in the Hoard which is essential for successful and harmonious trading. With respect to the Commonwealth Dairy Board, the London

). “Grocer,” which speaks for the whoh >f of the trade in Great Britain, says ,r “ The Australian Board has a steady ing influence on the trade. It collect: [S accurate details of stocks and sale: t] . prices, and it does not interfere witl free marketing. It has the full sym if pathy and co-operation of the importi- ers and it has been successful in tin y functions which it set out to perform u Returns furnished arc summed up, the y average prices intimated, and totals ol y unsold butter during the week arc dis- . closed. On these statistical reports a t discussion takes place as to market - prospects. The Board furnishes traders - with a weekly cable report from Aus--3 tralia regarding production, and, in re- - turn, traders furnish the Board with a l report regarding distribution and eon- - sumption. By this method the Board > obtains co-operation and harmony. It ; is able to determine a fair market i price, but as the Board’s agents’' are each given discretionary powers in sell- - ing, it is able to sell its stocks quickly.” The Commonwealth Board has - evidently started on lines that have earned the goodwill and confidence of Toolev Street, while the New Zealand Board has failed to win confidence because of its bungling methods. Mr Goodfellow wants price-fixing and absolute control, but Mr Grounds is apparently anxious to develop a national marketing scheme without price-fixing, and so the two “ Mussoliuis ” of the ! dairy industry have quarrelled, and the quarrel lias attained spectacular proportions. Having cut free from the Board Mr Goodfellow is free and harsh in bis criticisms. He sav.s the Board as at present constituted represented j sectional interests, wasted a good deal of time and a good deal of money. For the last financial year the Board levied £60,565, and spent all but £38,500. This year the levy is halved “but the pruning knife has not been I used, except in closing clown the Lon-1 don office,” and Mr Goodfellow hints | that reserves have been drawn to meet current expenses. If Air Goodfellow, by his resignation, lias done nothing eise lie lias focussed public attention on control boards, and their extravagant methods, and the results of the general elections at the end of the vear may be a new Govenrment with diffeient ideas.